Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) for the evaluation of Public Healthcare Structures

As stated in the Economist Intelligence Unit report (2011), “the failure to develop a coherent plan of action in health care systems is linked to deep-rooted problems related to the organization of health care structures”. These problems form the starting point of this work: the aim of the present study is to develop the potential of a Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) Model creating a non-parametric pattern for evaluating the efficiency of healthcare structures in a south-eastern region of Italy. A non-parametric pattern allows for weighting different variables even in the presence of a particularly complex structure, such as that of healthcare systems. The results will provide some indications for health decision and policy makers, in order to improve accountability in the field of Social Responsibility, of particular relevance in this moment