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Abstract
In Colombia, most level 3 public hospitals, despite their advanced infrastructure and highly qualified
personnel, operate under budgetary constraints that condition their institutional performance, making efficiency an indispensable requirement. The objective is to evaluate the efficiency of level 3 public hospitals in Colombia and analyze its implications for the right to health and equity in access to health services. The research was conducted using data provided by the Colombian Ministry of Health, which include variables collected from 23 public hospitals located in different cities across the country: inputs—beds and total costs; and outputs—the number of outpatient consultations, hospital emergency visits, number of discharges, as well as the readmission rate within less than 15 days. Using these data, technical efficiency is assessed by applying the Data Envelopment Analysis methodology with variable returns to scale and an input-oriented approach with panel data for the period 2017–2021.
During the five years under study, none of the public hospitals analyzed achieved full efficiency. However, positive variations were identified in certain years and in institutions located in different cities, which indicates the existence of potentially efficient management practices that could be replicated. The research reveals the need to strengthen public policies aimed at improving hospital efficiency and ensuring an equitable distribution of resources. It also emphasizes the importance of developing mechanisms that promote effective access to health services, in line with the principles of social justice and the full realization of the right to health in Colombia
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