Last update:
21-Mar-2016

OBJECTIVE Assessment of the framework and organization and the functioning and outcomes of the health system as a whole, and of its units, is imperative. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the financial and operational indicators of hospitals, based on information derived from the website ESY.net.

METHOD The study was conducted on Greek National Health Service (ESY) hospitals during the period 2009–2013 using the financial and operating data in the web-based application ESY.net.

RESULTS The study showed a noticeable reduction in total health spending over the years studied (2009–2013). With regard to the operational numbers, a 1% reduction was observed in the total number of visits to the hospitals in 2011–2012, and an increase of 3.32% in 2012–2013. With regard to visits to the outpatients departments, in 2011–2012 there was an increase of 2% in contrast to 2012–2013, when there was a notable reduction of 3.05%. The number of admissions during the years 2009–2012 showed a continued growth, but in 2013 there was a slight drop of 0.46% compared with 2012. Concerning the performance indicators of the hospitals, the average cost per patient per day of hospitalization decreased by 13.59% over the study period, and the average duration of hospitalization decreased by 3.02%.

CONCLUSIONS Indicator-based assessment and monthly monitoring of hospital statistics can contribute to the measurement of efficiency, which is the basis for improving hospital processes and the quality of health care provided.

Key words: Financial indexes, Health care assessment, Hospital evaluation, Hospital performance, Operational indexes.