Stochastic Frontier Estimation of Cost Models Within the Hospital
利用一家大型城市医院的详细病历和成本数据，分别估计了球囊血管成形术和心脏搭桥手术的随机前沿成本模型，剔除无效率后评估两种技术的成本节约潜力，并考虑了学习行为、医生效应和患者临床特征。
Assessing the impact of new technologies on health care costs is an important research area. This paper evaluates two technologies used to treat coronary artery disease. We estimate two separate stochastic frontier models - one for balloon angioplasty patients and one for cardiac bypass surgery patient - using data taken from detailed chart and cost files of a large urban hospital. Cost estimates for the two technologies are purged of inefficiency so that forecasts of the cost consequences of technology shift can be based on "best-practice" production techniques. Learning behavior, physician effects, and patient clinical characteristics are also taken into account. We find that there are potential cost savings associated with making angioplasty a more perfect substitute for bypass surgery, as well as current inefficiency in production. © 2001 by the President and Fellows of Harvard College and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology