Cost efficiency in primary health care: studies of health facilities in Indonesia

certain types of small, rural health facilities more efficient than others in providing outpatient contacts?This report compares simple model average cost curves for health centres and sub-centres to assess evidence for systematic differences in costs. Cost differences were minor, although health centres were slightly less expensive than sub-centres for both curative care and maternal health services. Community health worker services were significantly less costly than clinic-based care. Increasing utilization of currently under-used clinic services substantially reduces average costs, with the rate of reduction possibly higher for sub-centres. Further, more sophisticated analysis of facility cost functions is needed to improve resource allocation and health planning in low income countries