Prioritizing the use of financial indicators in order to evaluate the financial performance of hospitals in Iran

Document Type : Original article

Authors

1 Ph.D Student, Health Services Management, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

2 Professor of Health Services Management Department, Faculty of Management and Economics, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

3 Associate Professor, Health Services Management Department, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

4 Assistant Professor, Health Services Management Department, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

 




Background: Optimal performance of financial and economic system in hospitals is dependent on an efficient and powerful financial sector. Today, some hospitals suffer from problems with insufficient income to cover fixed, current and development costs. In addition, considering the complexity of the processes in the system of expenditure and income for hospitals intervention of Heads of hospitals, if it does not follow the scientific models, Hospitals cannot improve the economic process of hospitals. This study was aimed to prioritize the use of financial indicators in order to evaluate the financial performance of hospitals in Iran.
Methods: This study is combination of quantitative and qualitative methods. Sixty-two hospital managers participated in this study. A questionnaire was used to collect data and Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) was used for analysis.
Results: 108 indicators were identified to assess the financial performance of hospitals in the world that by using the AHP technique, 29 indicators were prioritized in nine groups. The sub-indicator of funding staff salary costs in ratio to total costs with the weight of 0.455 has the highest priority and sub-indicator of long-term liabilities in ratio to to capital with the weight of 0.08 has the lowest priority for Iran’s hospitals.
Conclusion: The establishment of a systematic evaluation of the financial performance of hospitals and a better understanding of the financial performance evaluation measures, with ranking hospitals in the form of financial assessment, can improve efficiency by focusing on outcomes and creates a health care system with the high quality management.

Keywords

References

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