Assessment of Performance Among Tertiary Hospitals in the Philippines

Abstract

Background: In order to assess the efficiency and effectiveness of service delivery, all hospitals in the Philippines are required to submit their annual hospital's statistics to the Department of Health - Bureau of Health Facilities and Services (DOH-BHFS) periodically.

Objectives and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study design was utilized in this study. The study described the technical performance of 191 hospitals, both government and private hospitals in terms of the following indicators: a) staffing patterns, b) hospital committees, c) bed occupancy rates (BOR), d) average length of stay (ALOS), e) hospital discharges, f) service outcomes, g) health outcomes, h) case fatality rate, i) surgical operations performed, and j) ancillary services offered. Data were extracted from the 2010 hospital statistics obtained from the DOH-BHFS.

Results: The study revealed that government hospitals have higher occupancy rates and higher average length of stay than private hospitals; patients in the charity obstetrics ward showed the highest number as well as with fastest discharge rates; staffing is a major problem to quality healthcare; the morbidity and mortality rates are both high among the young and the elderly; and the hospital committees allocate more manpower to the pharmacy or therapeutics, infection control, safety and medical records committee.

Conclusion: Although private hospitals outnumber government hospitals in all levels, government hospitals are still the healthcare provider of choice by the general population.

Key words: government hospitals, private hospitals, tertiary hospitals, hospital performance, hospital organization