Efficiency and Productivity Differences in Healthcare Systems: The Case of the European Union

Lacko, Roman; Hajduová, Zuzana; Bakalár, Tomáš; Pavolová, Henrieta

doi:10.3390/ijerph20010178

Open AccessArticle

Efficiency and Productivity Differences in Healthcare Systems: The Case of the European Union

by

Roman Lacko

^1,*

,

Zuzana Hajduová

²

,

Tomáš Bakalár

³

and

Henrieta Pavolová

³

¹

Department of Tourism, Faculty of Commerce, University of Economics in Bratislava, Dolnozemská Cesta 1, 852 35 Bratislava, Slovakia

²

Department of Business Finance, Faculty of Business Management, University of Economics in Bratislava, Dolnozemská Cesta 1, 852 35 Bratislava, Slovakia

³

Faculty of Mining, Ecology, Process Control and Geotechnologies, Technical University of Košice, Letná 9, 042 00 Košice, Slovakia

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(1), 178; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20010178

Submission received: 12 November 2022 / Revised: 19 December 2022 / Accepted: 20 December 2022 / Published: 22 December 2022

(This article belongs to the Section Health Economics)

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Abstract

This study aims to identify significant differences between the countries of the European Union, follow the course of achievement of the convergence objectives, assess developments against specific common characteristics of the countries, and propose possible measures that could improve the state of health in the EU as a whole by implementing standard cohesion policies. To compare efficiency and productivity among the states of the European Union, we used data envelopment analysis (DEA) and the Malmquist productivity index (MPI). On the basis of our findings, even countries that joined the EU later achieve high technical efficiency values. However, it should be noted that it is in these countries that technical efficiency values tend to decline. The values of the Malmquist productivity index broadly indicate stagnation in western countries and productivity decline in central and eastern European countries. This decline is mainly due to a negative shift in the technological frontier in these countries.

Keywords: MPI; DEA; clustering; healthcare; efficiency

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MDPI and ACS Style

Lacko, R.; Hajduová, Z.; Bakalár, T.; Pavolová, H. Efficiency and Productivity Differences in Healthcare Systems: The Case of the European Union. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20, 178. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20010178

AMA Style

Lacko R, Hajduová Z, Bakalár T, Pavolová H. Efficiency and Productivity Differences in Healthcare Systems: The Case of the European Union. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2023; 20(1):178. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20010178

Chicago/Turabian Style

Lacko, Roman, Zuzana Hajduová, Tomáš Bakalár, and Henrieta Pavolová. 2023. "Efficiency and Productivity Differences in Healthcare Systems: The Case of the European Union" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 20, no. 1: 178. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20010178

APA Style

Lacko, R., Hajduová, Z., Bakalár, T., & Pavolová, H. (2023). Efficiency and Productivity Differences in Healthcare Systems: The Case of the European Union. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(1), 178. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20010178

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

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Efficiency and Productivity Differences in Healthcare Systems: The Case of the European Union

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