Rural Health Clinic Efficiency and Effectiveness: Insight from a Nationwide Survey

• DOI: 10.1007/s10916-009-9404-4
• Publication Date: 2009-12-14T07:36:45Z
• Authors: Judith Ortiz; Natthani Meemon; Chiung-Ya Tang; Thomas T. H. Wan; Seung Chun Paek
• Keywords: Cost-Benefit Analysis; 02 engineering and technology; URBAN; Efficiency, Organizational; Medicare; Ambulatory Care Facilities; Cost efficiency; SYSTEMS; 0202 electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering; Humans; care; HOSPITAL PERFORMANCE; Quality Indicators, Health Care; Quality of Health Care; Delivery of Health Care, Integrated; Diabetes; COST; 1. No poverty; SERVICES; Rural Health Clinics (RHCs); United States; Patient Care Management; 3. Good health; CENTERS; Health Care Sciences & Services; Socioeconomic Factors; Health Care Surveys; Rural health; Rural Health Services; Medical Informatics; Diabetes care; Information Systems

This study reports the results of a nationwide survey of Rural Health Clinics (RHCs). The purpose was to identify factors that contribute to efficiency and effectiveness in RHCs. Factors related to cost efficiency were analyzed using multiple regression; factors related to the likelihood of providing preventive diabetic care, an effectiveness indicator, were analyzed using logistic regression. The study found: (1) technical efficiency to be positively related to cost efficiency; (2) non-profit control to be inversely related to cost efficiency in independent RHCs; and (3) provider-based RHCs and technology use to be related to the likelihood of providing preventive diabetic care. Implications for RHCs are: (1) improvement in technical efficiency could enhance cost efficiency; (2) visits to PAs and NPs, an indicator of process efficiency, may not guarantee the provision of preventive diabetic care; and (3) strategies for improving RHC efficiency and effectiveness may be different for provider-based and independent clinics.