Efficiency Analysis of US ART Clinics: A Data Envelopment Analysis Approach (2020-2022)

Abstract: This study investigates the technical efficiency of U.S. Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) clinics in converting resources into successful outcomes, an area where performance can vary widely. We employ Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) to assess the relative efficiency of clinics in transforming intended own-egg retrieval cycles into live births, stratified by patient age groups. Utilizing clinic-level data from the 2020-2022 National ART Surveillance System (NASS) dataset and an input-oriented Banker, Charnes, Cooper (BCC) model with variable returns to scale, we model the input-output relationship and identify the efficiency frontier for each year and age group. The analysis reveals generally low mean and median efficiency scores across all strata, significant performance heterogeneity, a negative correlation between patient age and clinic efficiency, and a substantial impact of zero-output cycles on efficiency scores. These findings highlight opportunities for performance improvement and best practice dissemination within the U.S. ART sector, particularly concerning the reduction of zero-output cycles and the improvement of outcomes for older patients.

Subjects:	q-bio.TO; cs.LG
Cite as:	PX:2508.00050