Zhuanzhi Tang,1 Ajuan Tang,2 Zhe Sun,1 Gai Cao,1 Rong Cao1 

1School of Public Administration (School of Emergency Management), Northwest University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, 710127, People’s Republic of China; 2Pediatric Department, Guilin Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Guilin, Guangxi, 541001, People’s Republic of China

Correspondence: Rong Cao, School of Public Administration (School of Emergency Management), Northwest University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, 710127, People’s Republic of China, Email caorong@nwu.edu.cn

Objective: Measuring the efficiency of health resources is one of the tools for determining how resources are utilized. Considering the necessity of assessing health resource efficiency, this study aims to evaluate the efficiency of health resource allocation and its influencing factors in Guangxi, a minority region.
Methods: An input-oriented Data Envelopment Analysis (BCC-DEA) and the Malmquist index model were employed to analyze the static and intertemporal efficiency of health resource allocation in 14 cities in Guangxi from 2010 to 2022. Finally, a Tobit regression model was used to estimate the factors influencing health resource allocation efficiency.
Results: Since the implementation of the new healthcare reform in 2009, the quantity of health resources in Guangxi has increased substantially. The average annual growth rate of total factor productivity change for health resources from 2010 to 2022 was 4.6%. However, the overall efficiency of health resource allocation remained low at 0.675, falling short of DEA effectiveness, with notable disparities across cities. Tobit regression analysis indicated that per capita disposable income (β = 0.252, 95% CI = 0.000– 0.505) and the proportion of healthcare expenditure (β = 0.011, 95% CI = 0.004– 0.017) were positively associated with efficiency scores, while population density (β = − 0.001, 95% CI = − 0.0007 – − 0.0002) was negatively associated. These findings were further validated through a two-stage bootstrap truncated regression.
Conclusion: The efficiency of health resource allocation in Guangxi remains in need of improvement due to issues such as insufficient technological innovation and an unscientific allocation of resource scale. It is recommended that relevant authorities increase investments in health funding and technological innovation, improve institutional mechanisms, and allocate health resources in a scientific and rational manner.

Keywords: health resources, efficiency, productivity, DEA-Tobit model