Evaluating the Trend of Efficiency at Inpatient Services by Pabon-Lasso Model: A Case Study in a Specialized Hospital

Lack of attention to hospital efficiency, in addition to increasing medical costs, limits public access to health care. The purpose of this study was to draw a picture of the resource efficiency status of inpatient units and its changes over the years 2015 to 2018 in a large specialized hospital in Tehran, Iran.

This is a multiple cross-sectional and applied study. The efficiency of inpatient services was evaluated using the Pabon Lasso model in four periods (2015-2018). The study population consisted of all hospitalized units (36 inpatient units) that all were studied. In this study, hospital performance indicators were collected using a data collection form. Excel 2019 software was used to draw Pabon Lasso charts.

On average, in 4 years, only 24% of inpatient units were fully efficient. Over the 4-year period, there were positive changes in the efficacy of internal gynecology, obstetrics, men general surgery, and NICU1. In addition, the efficacy of vascular and thoracic surgery, kidney transplant, NICU2 and VIP1 units had declined over the study period. There was no change in the efficiency status of the other units (27 units).

Many of the hospital units are far from the optimal performance point. Given the sporadic movement of hospital units towards efficiency, it is necessary to study separately the causes of positive and negative efficiency changes in each hospital unit. In this context, the use of the Pabon Lasso model is suggested monitoring changes in the efficiency of inpatient units.