A systematic review of the accessibility, acceptability, safety, efficiency, clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of private providers of elective surgical services compared with public providers

Abstract

Many publicly funded health systems use a mix of privately and publicly operated providers of care to deliver elective surgical services. We review the role of private elective surgical provision within publicly funded health systems in high-income countries. The outcomes evaluated include accessibility, acceptability, safety, clinical effectiveness, efficiency, and cost/cost-effectiveness. Twenty-seven articles met the review inclusion criteria. We found mixed results across each of our reported outcomes. Wait times were shorter for patients treated in private facilities in most studies, and inequalities by age and socioeconomic deprivation were found to increase with private provision in some studies. Acceptability results were mixed, with most studies finding no differences between public and private provision and others finding higher satisfaction at public facilities. The results for safety outcomes were divided, but most studies that found improved safety outcomes in private facilities, noting that private patients had a lower preoperative risk of complications. Clinical effectiveness was similar in most studies, with differences in outcomes mainly attributed to patient selection or prosthesis choice. Very few studies reported cost and cost-effectiveness outcomes, and just two included studies concluded that private facilities are economically viable.