Comparative efficiency analysis from the perspective of the Dutch health care insurer: Determining the usefulness of efficiency measures for contracting primary care organizations

This study performed a comparative efficiency analysis from the perspective of the Dutch health care insurer in order to determine the usefulness of efficiency measures for contracting primary care organizations. The introduction of regulated competition on the Dutch health care market has forced the health care insurers to become more concerned with the performance of health care organizations. Health care insurers are interested into both the costs and the quality of the health care services when meeting the needs of their insured. Efficiency analysis can be a useful instrument that health care insurers can use to get insight into the (relative) efficiency level of health care organizations.