• 1. West China School of Public Health, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, P. R. China;
  • 2. Institute of Hospital Management, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, P. R. China;
WEN Jin, Email: huaxiwenjin@163.com
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Objective To investigate the distribution, service volume, and medical efficiency of private general hospitals in Sichuan Province to provide references for optimizing the allocation of health resources in Sichuan Province. Methods Using the 2020 data from private general hospitals above the second level in 18 cities and states in Sichuan Province, this study calculated the market concentration and competitiveness with the Herfindahl-Hirschman index (HHI). A three-stage data envelopment analysis (DEA) model was employed to eliminate environmental variables and random errors for hospital efficiency analysis. Influencing factors were conducted using a Tobit regression model. Results The HHI indices for the number of licensed (assistant) physicians, beds, and total consultations in each city and state were below 1 000, indicating a low concentration market. The comprehensive technical efficiency, pure technical efficiency, and scale efficiency of private general hospitals above the second level in Sichuan Province were 0.534, 0.661, and 0.806, respectively, after the three-stage DEA analysis. The number of practicing (assistant) physicians was negatively correlated with scale efficiency. the number of beds was negatively correlated with pure technical efficiency. The total number of consultations showed a positive correlation with overall technical efficiency, pure technical efficiency, and scale efficiency. Conclusion The provincial private hospital market exhibits low concentration competition. Differences in efficiency exist among various regions, grades, and hospital types. Market competition in resource allocation promotes the improvement of pure technological efficiency and scale efficiency. Market share competition hinders the improvement of comprehensive technical efficiency, pure technical efficiency, and scale efficiency.

Citation: TANG Jing, WEN Jin. Impact of market competition on the efficiency of private hospitals. Chinese Journal of Evidence-Based Medicine, 2023, 23(7): 771-775. doi: 10.7507/1672-2531.202304002 Copy

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