Inefficiency of public hospitals: a multistage data envelopment analysis in an Italian region.

Background: The objective of this study was to assess public hospital efficiency, including quality outputs, inefficiency determinants, and changes to efficiency over time, in an Italian region. To achieve this aim, the study used secondary data from the Veneto region for the years 2018 and 2019.

Methods: A nonparametric approach-that is, multistage data envelopment analysis (DEA)-was applied to a sample of 43 hospitals.

[Huber needle in situ inpatients under continuous infusion chemotherapy: results of a study, Phase II].

Purpose: Chemotherapy administered as a continuous infusion is a widely used treatment in oncology. Huber needle deserves close attention during chemotherapy, but no data are reported on how long it can be left in situ without change. We therefore evaluated the feasibility of leaving in situ the needle for a prolonged time.