Efficiency of countries in terms of healthcare access and quality: Shannon entropy based data envelopment analysis and logistic regression modelling

This study aims to assess the efficiency of countries classified by income groups in terms of healthcare access and quality (HAQ). It also investigates the impact of health resources on the efficiency status of countries. To achieve these goals, Shannon Entropy Method was used to determine the weights of input variables, while Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) was employed to measure the efficiencies of 175 countries. The variables were obtained from the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Health Observatory and Global Health Expenditure database. Input variables included current health expenditure per capita in PPP, current health expenditure as a percentage of GDP, number of medical doctors, nurses and midwives, and hospital beds, with the HAQ index serving as the output variable. The findings revealed that high-income countries had the highest average HAQ index values. Additionally, Binary Logistic Regression Analysis highlighted health expenditure as a significant factor influencing countries' efficiency status. Monitoring HAQ trends can guide the evaluation of national health strategies and aid in the prioritization of healthcare resource allocation decisions.