Efficiency of U.S. dialysis centers: an updated examination of facility characteristics that influence production of dialysis treatments.

Objective: To explore the relative efficiency of dialysis facilities in the United States and identify factors that are associated with efficiency in the production of dialysis treatments.

Data Sources/study Setting: Medicare cost report data from 4,343 free-standing dialysis facilities in the United States that offered in-center hemodialysis in 2010.

Study Design: A cross-sectional, facility-level retrospective database analysis, utilizing data envelopment analysis (DEA) to estimate facility efficiency.