Using the DEA Method to Optimize the Number of Beds in the Slovak Hospital Sector 1

The Slovak hospital sector is characterized by overcapacity in the total number of beds due to inherited infrastructure. In this paper, we use the Data Envelopment Analysis technique to optimize the number of beds for 62 Slovak hospitals. Models with variable and constant returns to scale are used. Moreover, our models account for the quality of hospital care as well as the long-standing problem of a low number of medical staff. Based on the calculated technical efficiency, the number of beds could be decreased by 20% to 33% while keeping other variables constant at current levels. A reduction of up to 10% in the total number of beds would be satisfactory in roughly 30% of all hospitals.