Heterogeneity in management results of primary care centers of the Metropolitan Region using a multi -criteria method

Abstract

Introduction: In Chile, most primary care centers are managed by municipalities, which have different capabilities. The aim of this work is to present an index to measure management results in primary care centers. This tool will be used to evaluate differences between primary care centers in the Metropolitan Region of Chile.

Method: Using a multi-criteria method and the Analytical Hierarchy Process, a hierarchical structure was defined by a group of experts, to measure management results in primary care centers.

Three strategic criteria were obtained and then prioritized through pairwise comparisons, resulting in: Clinical management (53.7%), Administrative management (34.3%) and Intersectoral work (12.0%). The index was built with 25 indicators that use information gathered by health centers for other purposes.

Results: Results were obtained for 90 primary care centers using data from 2013. Scores ranged between 0.26 and 0.81 (mean 0.56, standard deviation: 0.12). Through categorization and georeferential analysis, heterogeneity was observed, even at a neighborhood level.

Discussion: There are big differences in management results between primary care centers, even among nearby facilities. One issue that stands out is the heterogeneity found in centers managed by the same municipality, which cannot be explained by differences in budget. This is an opportunity for improvement that could be approached through collaborative work between facilities.