Health services management research : an official journal of the Association of University Programs in Health Administration
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Health Serv Manage Res · Aug 2005
Multicenter StudyRing fencing of elective surgery: does it affect hospital efficiency?
Ring fencing (RF) is defined as separating elective from emergency operations in parallel hospital production lines. This study examines the effects of RF of elective surgery on hospital efficiency. The analysis is performed on two levels. ⋯ The intensive study indicates that RF could have positive effects both on cost and technical efficiency under certain conditions of case-mix and the demand for elective surgery, while the panel analyses of the effects of RF in the hospital population do not produce stable results. We cannot conclude that RF has unconditional positive effects on hospitals' efficiency. However, in certain situations of case-mix and demand for services, RF could be a valuable tool for managers to increase hospitals' efficiency.