Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Search research articles

Related Experiment Videos

Improving performance in public hospitals: a role for comparative costs?

D Dawson¹, M Goddard, A Street

¹Centre for Health Economics, University of York, York YO10 5DD, UK.

Health Policy (Amsterdam, Netherlands)

|July 19, 2001

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Salivary Biological Responses to Nonsurgical Periodontal Treatment in Type 2 Diabetics.

JDR clinical and translational research·2026

Same author

Acceptability of air cleaning units on inpatient wards: help for infection control or hindrance for ward occupants?

The Journal of hospital infection·2024

Same author

Advancing fatigue management in healthcare: risk-based approaches that enhance health service delivery.

Occupational medicine (Oxford, England)·2023

Same author

Myocardial infarction risk is increased by periodontal pathobionts: a cross-sectional study.

Scientific reports·2022

Same author

Feasibility and preliminary efficacy of the LEAD trial: a cluster randomized controlled lifestyle intervention to improve hippocampal volume in older adults at-risk for dementia.

Pilot and feasibility studies·2022

Same author

How much sleep do you need? A comprehensive review of fatigue related impairment and the capacity to work or drive safely.

Accident; analysis and prevention·2020

Same journal

A policy analysis of the three-month waiting period for new and returning residents to access provincial health insurance in Ontario, Canada.

Health policy (Amsterdam, Netherlands)·2026

Same journal

Policy priorities in palliative and end-of-life care: An exploration of issues reflected in public strategy.

Health policy (Amsterdam, Netherlands)·2026

Same journal

Advancing stakeholder analysis: Power and participation in health technology assessment policy development in the United Arab Emirates.

Health policy (Amsterdam, Netherlands)·2026

Same journal

Cultural sensitivity concerning the Gaeltacht people of Ireland - a concept analysis.

Health policy (Amsterdam, Netherlands)·2026

Same journal

Israel's 2010 capitation reform and the widening of regional health disparities: A difference-in-differences analysis.

Health policy (Amsterdam, Netherlands)·2026

Same journal

Does implementing strengths-based approaches improve adult social care outcomes in England? An econometric analysis of the Care Act 2014.

Health policy (Amsterdam, Netherlands)·2026

See all related articles

English hospitals face cost-reduction targets to improve performance. However, insufficient incentives and multiple cost-measurement indices may hinder actual cost improvements in the healthcare sector.

Area of Science:

Health Economics
Public Policy
Hospital Management

Background:

The English government implemented cost-reduction targets for acute hospitals to drive performance improvements.
This policy is analogous to 'yardstick competition,' a strategy used to enhance efficiency in non-competitive industries.

Purpose of the Study:

To evaluate the potential effectiveness of government-set unit cost reduction targets for English acute hospitals.
To identify factors that may impede the realization of anticipated cost improvements.

Main Methods:

Analysis of the policy framework for setting acute hospital cost targets in England.
Examination of the principles of 'yardstick competition' and its applicability to healthcare.
Review of incentives and measurement methodologies for comparative cost analysis in hospitals.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

Incentives to act on comparative cost data appear insufficient for effective response.
The existence of multiple, potentially conflicting, indices for measuring relative hospital costs complicates target setting.
Unit cost comparisons are highly sensitive to the specific measurement techniques employed.

Conclusions:

The effectiveness of current cost-reduction targets in English acute hospitals is questionable due to inadequate incentives.
The variability in cost-measurement indices necessitates caution when establishing performance targets.
Policy interventions should address both incentive structures and standardization of cost-measurement methodologies for greater impact.