Performance review of public-private partnerships in Portuguese hospitals

Abstract

Objective: Evaluate the performance of public-private partnership (PPP) hospitals in the Portuguese National Health Service, between 2013 and 2016. Methods: Data Envelopment Analysis applied to the measurement of performance and to the concept of superefficiency defined by Andersen and Petersen (1993), which considers the efficiency variation between the units, establishing a benchmarking system, cataloging the most and least efficient units in each year. The target population was the four PPP hospitals (Hospital de Cascais, Loures, Braga and Vila Franca de Xira). Cost and production data were obtained through the literature review (management reports of the Ministry of Health). Results: 75% of PPP hospitals are efficient. The unit whose management proved to be more efficient in 2013 was the Hospital de Braga and the Hospital de Loures in 2014 and 2015. Conclusions: From the results obtained, it can be seen that PPP hospitals were not always efficient, contrary all expectations.