Figure 1. Typology of efficiency measures (Text Description)
Health Care Efficiency Measures: Identification, Categorization, and Evaluation
This figure displays the typology or analytical framework of efficiency. It shows a flowchart with three different levels:
- Perspective.
- Outputs.
- Inputs.
Perspective
This part of the figure is entitled Society. It has three different entities:
Providers (in a rectangular box):
Hospitals.
Physicians.
Nursing homes.
Urgent Care Clinics.
Intermediaries (in an oval):
Health Plans.
Employers.
The third and final entity is Individuals, which was placed in a diamond text box.
Outputs
This level shows two different text boxes—one is entitled Health services, and the other one Health outcomes. Both boxes show examples of these outputs:
Health services
Examples:
- Hospital discharges.
- Office visits.
- Episodes of care.
- Covered lives (patients served).
Health outcomes
Examples:
- Post-admission mortality rates.
- Life expectancy.
- Infant mortality rates.
Inputs
This level shows two different text boxes—the first one is Physical, and the second one Financial. Both boxes show examples of these inputs:
Physical
Examples:
- Nursing labor used to produce a surgical procedure.
- Office visits used to produce an episode of care.
Financial
Examples:
- Nursing wages.
- Physician wages.
- Medication costs.
- Charges.


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