Abstract

Background: Statistical control is one of the tools in performance assessment and comparison of hospitals. In this regard the Pabon Lasso graph is used as a technique in hospitals. The current study aimed to compare the performance of teaching hospitals of Kerman and Shiraz Universities of Medical Sciences, Iran, in 2007 using the Pabon Lasso tools.

Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study. Eight teaching hospitals in Kerman and Shiraz were selected through purposive sampling. The data gathering instrument was the standard data form for hospital activities that had been verified by the Ministry of Health and Medical Education. Three indicators related to Pabon Lasso chart including Bed Occupancy Rate, Average Length of Stay and Bed Turnover Rate were calculated using the Excel software. Finally, the Pabon Lasso graph was used to rank the performance of the selected hospitals in terms of the indicators.

Results: Two out of the 8 hospitals (25%) including Shafa and Khalili fell in the second quarter and 4 out of the 8 hospitals (50%) including Shahid Bahonar, Shahid Faghihi, Namazi and Afzalipour were placed in the third quarter of the chart. Also 2 out of the 8 hospitals were positioned in the fourth quarter. Overall, a separate comparison of the three indicators showed that Shiraz teaching hospitals have better efficiency and performance than Kerman teaching hospitals.

Conclusion: Pabon Lasso graph can be used as a suitable tool in the performance assessment of hospitals. Also, it is recommended that these functional indicators be prioritized in the annual evaluation of hospitals.