Calling For Diversity In Health Care Executive Suites And Evaluation Of Effects On Efficiency Using Data Envelopment Analysis

Abstract

Adequate diversity in the leadership of health care organizations is a problem that potentially affects overall performance. In this paper, we propose the application of data envelopment analysis (DEA) and strategic human information systems to determine how diversity affects the efficiency, stability, and long-term viability of health care organizations at the organization level. Data envelopment analysis could also be applied within a given health care organization to examine how the organization's diversity make-up in its various departments affects relative efficiencies across the departments. After presenting a brief introduction of DEA, we provide examples of inputs and outputs used in a proposed DEA analysis.We also propose the use of strategic information systems in health care organizations in developing countries at both organization and departmental levels. We suggest that both developed and developing countries would benefit from using these tools as they seek to control costs and improve health care systems.