Costs of polish county hospitals-A behavioral panel function

Area of Science:

• Health Economics
• Hospital Management
• Public Health Policy

Background:

• Understanding healthcare costs is crucial for efficient resource allocation.
• Polish healthcare system underwent significant changes, including the introduction of a hospital network in 2017.
• Hospital cost drivers are influenced by internal characteristics and external environmental factors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the cost determinants of Polish county hospitals between 2015 and 2018.
• To evaluate the impact of hospital characteristics and the hospital network system on costs.
• To apply a behavioral cost function approach to hospital cost analysis.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a fixed-effect panel model to analyze hospital cost data.
• Incorporated variables such as ownership, bed turnover, patient-days, and emergency department share.
• Included dummy variables to represent the hospital network system introduced in 2017.

Main Results:

• A positive correlation was found between the percentage of emergency department patients transferred and hospital costs.
• Increasing wages were positively associated with higher hospital costs.
• A higher ratio of residents and interns to doctors was linked to decreased hospital costs.
• The introduction of the hospital network showed a negative but statistically insignificant impact on costs.

Conclusions:

• Hospital costs are significantly influenced by operational factors like patient flow and staffing ratios.
• The hospital network system's impact on costs requires further investigation due to statistical insignificance.
• Policy implications may involve optimizing staffing and managing patient transfers to control healthcare expenditures.