Equity and Efficiency of Medical Resource Allocation in National Central Cities, China.

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the equity and efficiency of medical resource allocation in national central cities in China in order to promote the development of medical resources in national central cities.

METHODS

Data on medical resources in 9 national central cities were extracted from 2018 to 2022, descriptive analysis, health resource density index (HRDI), and health resource agglomeration degree (HRAD) were used to evaluate equity, and data envelopment analysis (DEA) was used to evaluate efficiency.

RESULTS

The HRDI of medical resources in national central cities is higher than the Chinese average from 2018 to 2022. The HRAD for the number of beds in Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Zhengzhou is greater than 14.40, and the HRAD for registered nurses, licensed (assistant) physicians, and health technicians in Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Beijing is greater than 15.80, indicating that the medical resources in these regions are highly concentrated by geographical allocation. The HRAD/PAD for licensed (assistant) physicians, registered nurses, and health technicians in Chongqing is less than 1, indicating that there is a shortage of medical resources in these regions relative to the agglomeration population. The technical efficiency, scale efficiency and overall efficiency in Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Chongqing are all 1, and the DEA is relatively effective. In Beijing in 2018-2020, Zhengzhou in 2020, and Chengdu in 2019-2021, the overall efficiency, scale efficiency, and technical efficiency are not 1, and the DEA is relatively ineffective.

CONCLUSION

The level of medical resource allocation in national central cities is higher than the Chinese average. The medical resources allocated in the national central cities are highly concentrated by geography. Licensed (assistant) physicians, registered nurses, and health technicians in Chongqing is insufficient relative to the agglomeration population. Except for Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chongqing, the other of the cities have a relatively inefficient allocation of medical resources.