Technical efficiency and its convergence among village clinics in rural China: evidence from Shanxi Province.

INTRODUCTION

Village clinics (VCs) are the foundation of the three-tiered health service system in China, delivering basic and routine outpatient services to citizens in rural China. VC technical efficiency and its convergence play a critical role in policy decisions regarding the distribution of health service resources in rural China.

METHODS

This study measured VC technical efficiency (using the slacks-based measure model), its convergence (using the convergence model), and the factors that influence the convergence in Shanxi Province, China. Data were obtained from the , which involved 3,543 VCs.

RESULTS

The results showed that VC technical efficiency was low and differed by region. There was no α convergence in VC technical efficiency, but evidence of β convergence was found in Shanxi. The main factors that influence convergence were the building area of each VC (BA), proportion of government subsidies (PGS), and ratio of total expenditure to total income of each VC (RTETI).

CONCLUSION

The government should increase investments in VCs and improve VC technical efficiency. Meanwhile, the government should be aware of and take measures to curb the inequity in VC technical efficiency among different regions and take suitable measures to curb this disparity.