Paolo Mancuso

Uncover the predictive structure of healthcare efficiency applying a bootstrapped data envelopment analysis

One of the main problems in efficiency analysis is to determinate the environmental variables that have an impact on the production process. This paper shows that applying bootstrap to data envelopment analysis (DEA) before performing classification and regression trees (CART) increase the quality of the results. In particular, employing data on the Italian Health System, the paper highlights that bias corrected DEA allows to individuate variables affecting health efficiency which would remain undiscovered when the traditional DEA model is applied.

Healthcare reform in Italy: an analysis of efficiency based on nonparametric methods

Over the past twenty years, important changes in the Italian health system have led to different approaches in organizing, delivering and financing health services throughout the countrys regions. In this paper, we assess the impacts that such changes have had on health efficiency. The analysis performed here is in two stages. In the first stage, healthcare efficiency is measured via bootstrapped Data Envelopment Analysis. In the second stage, the impacts of organizational and environmental variables on efficiency are investigated. Our results highlight that the organizational model adopted by the Lombardia region allows for the best results in healthcare efficiency in Italy. A process of administrative decentralization from the regional governments to local health units appears to be a source of inefficiency. Finally, patient mobility has a significant impact on healthcare efficiency.

ICT and Growth: A DEA Analysis of 14 OECD Countries

This paper investigates the labour productivity performance of 14 OECD countries from 1995 to 2005. We use the non parametric Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) technique in order to assess the impact of ICT capital on labour productivity we use two DEA models. In the first one, we consider the whole capital as an input, while in the second one the ICT capital is disembodied from the whole capital stock. Moreover, by introducing in the bootstrap setting, for the first time, the decomposition of the labour productivity developed by Kumar and Russell, we are able to investigate the effect of the ICT capital on the capital accumulation. The paper shows that labour productivity has significantly increased in two Asiatic countries, in US and in a restricted number of European countries. Thus our analysis seems to indicate the existence of increasing difficulties by the European countries to follow the Lisbon agenda objectives. Moreover, the paper points out the dual role played by the ICT capital. To one hand, it increases the labour productivity through capital accumulation to the other hand, it hampers, in the short run, the labour productivity by generating a negative technological change. So ICT capital appears as General Purpose Technology (GPT) which need for extensive complementary «investments» in tangible and intangible assets to reap the gains from it. Finally, the paper highlights a process of b-convergence among the 14 OECD countries in the labour productivity which is mostly driven by the process of capital accumulation.

Quantitative Integration of the Analytical Hierarchical Process and Virtual Enterprise Model to Support Manager Decisions

In measuring the global performance of a production system two problems are relevant. The first one is represented by the individuation of a meaningful set of indicators and the second one by the choice of the connected weights system. In this paper, we highlights the advantages of the integration of the Analytical Hierarchical Process and the use of a simulation tool of a production system. The procedure of such integration is explained with more considerations given to its possible dual application, by top managers and systems’ designers, to firstly predict the possible changes of production system and then take reasonable courses of action to individuate the best configuration. Moreover, we have tested the proposed methodology for an Italian firm.