What are the two measures of efficiency of care?

• A. Length of stay and productivity
• B. Patient satisfaction
• C. Cost per patient
• D. Readmission rate

Answer: (A)

Efficiency in care means using resources—time, beds, staff—in a way that supports timely, appropriate treatment. The two common measures are length of stay and productivity. Length of stay tracks how long patients stay in the hospital; shorter stays typically reflect faster throughput and more efficient use of beds and staff, provided patient outcomes remain good. Productivity measures how much care is produced per unit of input, such as the number of patients treated per clinician-hour or per staff shift; increasing productivity means more care delivered without increasing resources. While patient satisfaction, cost per patient, and readmission rate provide important insights into quality, cost, and continuity of care, they do not gauge efficiency of care in the same direct way as LOS and productivity.