Evaluating efficiency of counties in providing diabetes preventive care using data envelopment analysis
Hyojung Kang1, Soyoun Kim2, Kevin Malloy3
1Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, College of Applied Health Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA.
Health Services & Outcomes Research Methodology
|November 26, 2021
Summary
Many US counties show inefficiency in providing diabetes preventive care, particularly for foot and eye exams. Improving healthcare resource utilization is key to reducing diabetes complications.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Health Services Research
- Healthcare Management
Background:
- Annual preventive care is crucial for diabetes patients to mitigate complication risks.
- Local healthcare resource availability significantly impacts diabetes preventive care utilization.
- Assessing county-level efficiency in delivering diabetes care is vital for targeted interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the relative efficiency of US counties in providing diabetes preventive care.
- To identify factors contributing to inefficiencies in diabetes preventive care delivery.
- To explore strategies for improving healthcare resource utilization for diabetes care.
Main Methods:
- Utilized county-level demographic data (2010-2013) and individual-level data on diabetes preventive service use (2010).
- Employed cluster analysis to group 1112 US counties based on economic and population characteristics.
- Applied data envelopment analysis (DEA) to assess efficiency within each county group.
Main Results:
- A majority of counties demonstrated modest efficiency, with inefficiency rates of 57.1% (Group 1), 61.1% (Group 2), and 54.3% (Group 3).
- Foot and eye examinations were frequently identified as areas of inefficiency in underperforming counties.
- Underutilization of available health professionals was observed in some counties, hindering preventive care delivery.
Conclusions:
- Significant inefficiencies exist in county-level diabetes preventive care provision across different socioeconomic and geographic groups.
- Targeted interventions focusing on foot and eye exams, alongside improved resource allocation, are needed.
- Benchmarking against similar counties can guide policy and practice improvements for diabetes care efficiency.
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