Research on the technical efficiency of medical resources in hospitals of public health emergencies

INTRODUCTION. The increasing demand for medical and health services from the public has brought enormous pressure to the health system, and the public health emergency will lead to an intensification of the supply-demand contradiction of medical services. OBJECTIVE. This study aimed to evaluate and explore the factors that might affect the efficiency of medical resource allocation of hospitals in Shanghai, providing reference for the medical resource management of hospitals in the public health emergency. MATERIALS AND METHODS. Data were obtained from the hospitals in a certain area of Shanghai from April to May, 2022. Data envelopment analysis was used to evaluate technical efficiency, pure technical efficiency, and scale efficiency. Tobit regression was applied to determine the independent factors affecting hospital efficiency. RESULTS. A total of 214 decision-making units were included in this study. The median values of technical efficiency, pure technical efficiency, and scale efficiency of hospitals were 0.579 (interquartile range [IQR], 0.347-0.767), 0.644 (IQR, 0.487-0.883), and 0.938 (IQR, 0.905-0.953), respectively. Tobit regression analysis indicated that the higher bed-to-nurse ratio and bed capacity (at least 2000) had a negative impact on technical efficiency. DISCUSSION. Hospitals with higher bed-to-nurse ratios tended to exhibit lower efficiency, suggesting that excessive nursing workload may hinder effective service delivery during public health emergencies. Larger bed capacity, particularly in hospitals exceeding 2000 beds, was also associated with poorer efficiency, indicating that overly large scales may limit operational responsiveness. CONCLUSIONS. Low technical efficiency is primarily attributable to poor pure technical efficiency, which can be improved through better management and organizational practices. In addition, optimizing bed allocation and maintaining an appropriate nurse-to-bed ratio can enhance allocative efficiency in hospitals. Decision-makers should consider these findings while allocating medical resources. Meanwhile, our study can also provide reference for optimizing the allocation of medical resources in the public health emergency.

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