Analysis of technical efficiency of the Slovak public healthcare system since its reform in 2004

The subject of this thesis is an assessment of effectiveness of the Slovak healthcare system. On basis of data provided by the OECD and using an input-oriented DEA model, it analyses the rate of technical efficiency achieved across four periods, while two of them are "before reform" and the other two are after-reform periods. This approach, besides determining the efficiency rates, helps to provide information on how the most influential healthcare reform in the era of independent Slovakia influenced the healthcare efficiency. The results of the analysis reveal above-average efficiency scores for the two pre-reform periods on one hand and some significantly below-average scores for the post-reform years on the other. Based on these results, we can judge the influence of the reform on the technical efficiency of healthcare as negative. Moreover, the attempt to verify the hypothesis of a positive influence of healthcare expenditures growth on efficiency scores was also unsuccessful. Another outcome of the analysis is the fact, that current (2011) health outcomes in Slovakia could be produced with a significantly lower volume of inputs. In conclusion, the analysis provides some of the input-minimizing suggestions, which could be made in order to increase the overall efficiency of healthcare