Research on Healthcare Services Efficiency and its spatial-temporal differentiation characteristics in China from 2010 to 2020

Abstract

Abstract Background In China, public health and medical care spending have significantly expanded over the past ten years, yet issues like inefficiency and injustice persist. It is crucial to figure out how to increase healthcare service efficiency if we are to improve the high-quality and effective medical and health services system and fulfill the inhabitants' increasingly diversified healthcare requirements. Methods Based on the panel data of China's medical resources in 2010–2020, we used SFA model to assess the effectiveness of healthcare services in 31 Chinese provinces. Kernel density estimation, spatial autocorrelation analysis, and Markov chains are used to examine the provinces' spatial-temporal features. Results In the efficiency assessment, although the efficiency of China's healthcare services has improved from 2010–2020, it is still at a medium level. Furthermore, inter-regional efficiency shows heterogeneous characteristics of high in the east and down in the west. In the spatial correlation, the spatial correlation between healthcare service efficiency is positive, and spatial agglomeration is dominated by homogeneous development, with a weakening tendency toward heterogeneous development. The type of healthcare services efficiency level is stable and difficult to transfer across provinces. After considering the spatial factor, although the basic pattern does not change, the type of neighborhood has a noticeable "near-neighbor effect" on the efficiency of local healthcare services. Conclusions (1) China's provinces should coordinate the regional allocation of high-quality medical and health resources following the level of regional economic development and the demand for medical services. (2) The government should fully use the spatial spillover effects between neighboring provinces to strengthen inter-regional cooperation and exchanges. (3) The top-ranked provinces should utilize their radiation-driven position to the fullest, and the provinces with lower healthcare service efficiency should take into account their development conditions and seek a balanced point of coordinated development between economic growth, resource allocation, and efficiency improvement.