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The efficiency of health production: re‐estimating the WHO panel data using parametric and non‐parametric approaches to provide additional information
Author(s) -
Hollingsworth Bruce,
Wildman John
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
health economics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.55
H-Index - 109
eISSN - 1099-1050
pISSN - 1057-9230
DOI - 10.1002/hec.751
Subject(s) - parametric statistics , table (database) , league , panel data , league table , health care , econometrics , production (economics) , estimation , computer science , range (aeronautics) , economics , data mining , statistics , engineering , mathematics , microeconomics , physics , astronomy , classical economics , aerospace engineering , economic growth , management
The World Health Report 2000 focuses on the performance of health‐care systems around the globe. The report uses efficiency measurement techniques to create a league table of health‐care systems, highlighting good and bad performers. Efficiency is measured using panel data methods. This paper suggests that the WHO's estimation procedure is too narrow and that contextual information is hidden by the use of one method. This paper uses and validates a range of parametric and non‐parametric empirical methods to measure efficiency using the WHO data. The rankings obtained are compared to the WHO league table and we demonstrate that there are trends and movements of interest within the league tables. We recommend that the WHO broaden its range of techniques in order to reveal this hidden information. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.