A simple and fair benchmarking system or financial indicators for use on the clinical department level have been lacking to
evaluate the management efficiency and activity of each clinical department or division of a hospital. New financial indicators
have therefore been developed based on personnel costs. Indicator 1: The ratio of marginal profit after personnel cost per
personnel cost (RMP). Indicator 2: The ratio of investment (=indirect cost) per personnel cost (RIP). The difference between
RMP and RIP demonstrates the operation profit in US Dollars for personnel cost (OPP). A turning point in profitability similar
to the break-even point (BEP) and break-even ratio (BER) could be also defined by the combination of the RMP and RIP. The
merits of these two indicators are not only the ability to indicate the relationship between the medical profit and the investments
in the hospital, but also the capability to demonstrate such indicators as BEP, BER and OPP on a single graph. The two indicators
were applied to the hospitals in the National Hospital Organization and to the clinical department in one hospital. Using
these two indicators, it was possible to evaluate the management efficiency and medical activity not only in the whole hospital
but also in each department and DPC/DRG group. This will be of use to a manager of a hospital in checking the management efficiency
of his/her hospital despite the variations among hospitals, departments and divisions.
Keywords Financial indicator – Benchmark – Break-even point – Break-even ratio – Management efficiency – Hospital cost accounting