The Impact of Health Care Reform Since 2009 on the Efficiency of Primary Health Services: A Provincial Panel Data Study in China

Background: Primary health care (PHC) is an important part of health systems in the world and in China. To improve the efficiency of PHC institutions (PHCIs), many countries have implemented reforms, including China's health care reform since 2009. This study aims to evaluate the impact of this reform on the efficiency of PHCIs from the perspective of the whole health system. Methods: Data were collected from China Health Statistical Yearbooks and China Statistical Yearbooks published from 2005 to 2019. By taking the number of beds, health technicians and PHCIs as inputs and the proportion of diagnosis, treatment and admission in PHCIs as outputs, Malmquist DEA was used to evaluate the efficiency change of PHCIs, and panel data regression was performed to analyze the impact of the reform and other factors on such efficiency. The interaction between reform and economic level was also estimated. Results: The MPI in Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Hunan, and Guangdong improved after the reform. The efficiency improvement in Beijing, Tianjin and Shanghai is mainly reflected in the growth of TC, whereas the efficiency improvement in Guangdong and Hunan is mainly reflected in the growth of EC. Meanwhile, the EC and TC in Hebei, Heilongjiang, Shandong, and other provinces deteriorated. The deterioration of MPI in Shanxi, Inner Mongolia and Jilin was mainly attributed to EC. while the deterioration of MPI in Liaoning, Anhui, and Fujian provinces is mainly attributed to TC. Since 2009, the reform exerted a negative impact on MPI (β = −0.06; P < 0.01), TC (β = −0.048; P < 0.01) and EC (β = −0.03; P < 0.01). And such negative impact was weaker in economically developed areas (β = 0.076; P < 0.01). Conclusions: Attention should be paid to future reforms: China should continue investing in PHCIs, establish a structurally integrated and functionally complementary delivery system and promote the coordination of reform policies to avoid the adverse impacts of other reform policies on PHCIs.