Research on the Medical Service Efficiency of County Level Public Comprehensive Hospitals in Sichuan Province

Duan Maoyao; Hu Qiyao; Yao Weizi; Zhu Liyan; Chen Li; Li Dan; Li Jiawei

Abstract：Objective To evaluate the medical service efficiency of county-level comprehensive public hospitals in Sichuan Province for 2023,and propose evidence-based recommendations for enhancing operational efficiency and promoting high-quality development.Methods Data Envelopment Analysis(DEA)was utilized to assess the operational efficiency of county-level public general hospitals.Malmquist index model was applied to examine temporal efficiency changes during 2022-2023.Spatial autocorrelation analysis was conducted to identify geographical clustering patterns of medical service efficiency across prefecture-level divisions in Sichuan Province.Results Revealed an average comprehensive efficiency score of 0.865 among surveyed hospitals,with only 35 institutions(21.60%)achieving DEA effectiveness.The total factor productivity index is 0.913 during the study period.Spatial analysis identified positive spatial autocorrelation(Moran's I=0.846,P＜0.05),with Ziyang and Zigong municipalities exhibiting distinctive high-low clustering patterns.Conclusion The findings indicate suboptimal medical service efficiency in Sichuan's county-level public hospitals during 2023,marked by progressive efficiency deterioration and widespread input redundancy.Strategic recommendations include paradigm shifts in hospital management,accelerated adoption of medical technological innovations,enhanced inter-regional collaborative mechanisms,and optimized resource allocation strategies to drive sustainable quality improvement in county-level healthcare institutions.