Plastic surgery procedure unit: A streamlined care model for minor and intermediate procedures: A cost-benefit analysis.

INTRODUCTION: The advent of wide-awake local anaesthesia has led to a reduced need for main theatre for trauma and elective plastic procedures. This results in significant cost-benefits for the institution. This study aims to show how a dedicated 7 days/ week plastic surgery procedural (PSP) unit, performing both elective and trauma surgeries, can lead to significant cost-benefits for the institution. METHODS: Retrospective review of all cases performed in the PSP unit between 1 September and 31 August 2018. We utilised hospital directory admissions data and the hospital's intranet operating theatre system to calculate hospital days saved. Cost analysis was performed using Saolta financial data. RESULTS: A total of 3058 operations were performed. Of these operations, 2388 cases were elective and 670 were trauma cases. The average waiting time for trauma cases for main operating theatre was 1.4 days, saving a total of 487 hospital days. The total savings associated with hospital bed days were €347,861. The estimated resource savings from performing a procedure in PSP compared with main theatre with regional anaesthesia were €529.00 and €391.00 without regional anaesthesia. The cost saved due to resources was therefore €337,226. The total cost-benefit associated with performing surgeries in PSP including hospital days and resources saved was calculated as €685,087. CONCLUSION: This study shows the benefit of performing elective and trauma operations in minor procedure units such as PSP. PSP results in a more efficient service, reducing waiting times for surgery, shorter hospital stay, reduced operating cost and an overall significant cost saving.

Cost analysis in a Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine unit in Brazil.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the costs of a specialized service in Traditional Complementary and Integrative Medicines (TCIM) in Northeast Brazil to provide data on the cost linked to the implementation and maintenance of services of this nature and to identify the average cost per user for the Unified Health System. METHODS: This is a partial, descriptive, quantitative economic assessment, which used secondary data, later grouped in Microsoft Excel spreadsheets. The method used to analyze such costs was absorption costing, from which the service was divided into three costing centers: productive, administrative and auxiliary. RESULTS: After analyzing the data, the total cost of the service in 2014 was estimated at R$ 1,270,015.70, with a proportion of 79.69% of direct costs. The average cost per user in this period was R$ 36.79, considering the total of 34,521 users in individual and collective practices. CONCLUSIONS: The service has a cost per user compatible with a specialized service; however, TCIM offers a comprehensive and holistic approach, which can have a positive impact on quality of life.

Cost-Utility of Intermediate Obstetric Critical Care in a Resource-Limited Setting: A Value-Based Analysis.

Background: Sierra Leone faces among the highest maternal mortality rates worldwide. Despite this burden, the role of life-saving critical care interventions in low-resource settings remains scarcely explored. A value-based approach may be used to question whether it is sustainable and useful to start and run an obstetric intermediate critical care facility in a resource-poor referral hospital. We also aimed to investigate whether patient outcomes in terms of quality of life justified the allocated resources. Objective: To explore the value-based dimension performing a cost-utility analysis with regard to the implementation and one-year operation of the HDU. The primary endopoint was the quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) of patients admitted to the HDU, against direct and indirect costs. Secondary endpoints included key procedures or treatments performed during the HDU stay. Methods: The study was conducted from October 2, 2017 to October 1, 2018 in the obstetric high dependency unit (HDU) of Princess Christian Maternity Hospital (PCMH) in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Findings: 523 patients (median age 25 years, IQR 21-30) were admitted to HDU. The total 1 year investment and operation costs for the HDU amounted to €120,082 - resulting in €230 of extra cost per admitted patient. The overall cost per QALY gained was of €10; this value is much lower than the WHO threshold defining high cost effectiveness of an intervention, i.e. three times the current Sierra Leone annual per capita GDP of €1416. Conclusion: With an additional cost per QALY of only €10.0, the implementation and one-year running of the case studied obstetric HDU can be considered a highly cost-effective frugal innovation in limited resource contexts. The evidences provided by this study allow a precise and novel insight to policy makers and clinicians useful to prioritize interventions in critical care and thus address maternal mortality in a high burden scenario.

COVID-19 rehabilitation units are twice as expensive as regular rehabilitation units.

OBJECTIVE: The COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant motor, cognitive, psychological, neurological and cardiological disabilities in many infected patients. Functional rehabilitation of infectious COVID-19 patients has been implemented in the acute care wards and in appropriate, ad hoc, multidisciplinary COVID-19 rehabilitation units. However, because COVID-19 rehabilitation units are a clinical novelty, clinical and organizational benchmarks are not yet available. The aim of this study is to describe the organizational needs and operational costs of such a unit, by comparing its activity, organization, and costs with 2 other functional rehabilitation units, in San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy. METHODS: The 2-month activity of the COVID-19 Rehabilitation Unit at San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy, which was created in response to the emergency need for rehabilitation of COVID-19 patients, was compared with the previous year's activity of the Cardiac Rehabilitation and Motor Rehabilitation Units of the same institute. RESULTS: The COVID-19 Rehabilitation Unit had the same number of care beds as the other units, but required twice the amount of staff and instrumental equipment, leading to a deficit in costs. DISCUSSION: The COVID-19 Rehabilitation Unit was twice as expensive as the 2 other units studied. World health systems are organizing to respond to the pandemic by expanding capacity in acute intensive care and sub-intensive care units. This study shows that COVID-19 rehabilitation units must be organized and equiped according to the clinical and rehabilitative needs of patients, following specific measures to prevent the spread of infection amongs patients and workers.

[Clinical pharmacy activities coordination in an adult psychiatry unit: Clinical and medicoeconomic impact of pharmaceutical interventions]. / Coordination des activités de pharmacie clinique dans une unité de psychiatrie adulte : impact clinique et médicoéconomique des interventions pharmaceutiques.

OBJECTIVE: Coordination and evaluation of clinical pharmacy activities are necessary to optimize their achievement. Their coordination throughout patient care program was studied in an adult psychiatry unit. The purpose was to evaluate clinical and medicoeconomic impact of pharmaceutical interventions (PIs). METHOD: During five weeks, a full time pharmaceutical presence in the unit allowed medication reconciliation, medication review and multiprofessional meetings. A multiprofessional assessment of PIs impact has been achieved with the CLEO® tool and a determination of direct drug costs was realized. RESULTS: All activities combined, 190 PIs were issued, half during multiprofessional meetings, with an acceptance rate of 67.9% (100% for PIs realized during direct interactions with clinicians). All clinical pharmacy activities demonstrated relevance according to CLEO® scale's dimensions. Around 400€ were saved on direct drug costs and an avoidance of potential prolongation of hospitalization was identified in 6 PIs. CONCLUSION: PIs number, acceptance rate and evaluation results show individual impact of activities, their complementarily and the added value of their coordination. Collaboration between professionals contributed to an efficient and secure medication management. These results are reasons to optimize clinical pharmacy practice in the healthcare facility.

Cost analysis in a traditional, complementary and integrative medicine unit in Brazil / Análise de custos em unidade de medicina tradicional, complementar e integrativa no Brasil

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE To analyze the costs of a specialized service in Traditional Complementary and Integrative Medicines (TCIM) in Northeast Brazil to provide data on the cost linked to the implementation and maintenance of services of this nature and to identify the average cost per user for the Unified Health System. METHODS This is a partial, descriptive, quantitative economic assessment, which used secondary data, later grouped in Microsoft Excel spreadsheets. The method used to analyze such costs was absorption costing, from which the service was divided into three costing centers: productive, administrative and auxiliary. RESULTS After analyzing the data, the total cost of the service in 2014 was estimated at R$ 1,270,015.70, with a proportion of 79.69% of direct costs. The average cost per user in this period was R$ 36.79, considering the total of 34,521 users in individual and collective practices. CONCLUSIONS The service has a cost per user compatible with a specialized service; however, TCIM offers a comprehensive and holistic approach, which can have a positive impact on quality of life.

RESUMO OBJETIVO Analisar os custos de um serviço especializado em Medicinas Tradicionais Complementares e Integrativas (MTCI) no Nordeste brasileiro, com o intuito de fornecer dados sobre o custo atrelado à implantação e manutenção de serviços dessa natureza e identificar o custo médio por usuário para o Sistema Único de Saúde. MÉTODOS Trata-se de uma avaliação econômica do tipo parcial, com caráter descritivo, de natureza quantitativa, que utilizou dados secundários, posteriormente agrupados em planilhas do Microsoft Excel. O método utilizado para analisar tais custos foi o de custeio por absorção, a partir do qual o serviço foi dividido em três centros de custeio: produtivo, administrativo e auxiliar. RESULTADOS Após a análise dos dados, o custo total do serviço em 2014 foi estimado em R$ 1.270.015,70, com proporção de 79,69% de custos diretos. O custo médio por usuário neste período foi R$ 36,79, considerando o total de 34.521 usuários em práticas individuais e coletivas. CONCLUSÕES O serviço apresenta um custo por usuário compatível com um serviço especializado, contudo, as MTCI oferecem abordagem compreensiva e holística, as quais podem impactar de forma positiva a qualidade de vida.

Intestinal failure functional classification type associated with an extended length of stay at the intestinal failure unit, Central Hospital in Chihuahua, Mexico.

BACKGROUND: Intestinal failure (IF) was first defined as "a reduction in the functioning gut mass below the minimal amount necessary for adequate digestion and absorption." In our environment, there are no statistical data for IF in adult patients' extended length of stay (LOS), nor the economic impact that it implies. OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to describe the association between the IF type and extended LOS. METHODS: Patients admitted to our IF Unit between March 2016 and March 2018 were enrolled. We conducted a 2-year retrospective cross-sectional study. RESULTS: From the total of 53 patients, 35% corresponded to type I IF, 58.5% to type II IF, and 7.5% to type III IF. The mean LOS, according to the type of functional IF was 51 days for type I, 77.48 days for type II, and 68.25 days for type III. The mean LOS for the three IF types was 67.79 days. CONCLUSION: Extended LOS occurs in an important proportion of patients with IF, resulting in increased morbidity and mortality, as well as in costs and associated side effects. Future research should focus on economic studies, to know the economic impact that this subject entails for our health systems.

ANTECEDENTES: En nuestro entorno no existen datos estadísticos sobre la falla intestinal en adultos, su estancia hospitalaria prolongada (EHP) ni el impacto económico que implica. OBJETIVO: Describir la asociación entre el tipo de falla intestinal y la estancia hospitalaria prolongada en pacientes de la unidad de falla intestinal del Hospital Central del Estado Chihuahua, México. MÉTODO: Se realizó un estudio transversal retrospectivo con un total de 53 participantes durante el periodo de marzo de 2016 a marzo de 2018. RESULTADOS: De los 53 pacientes, el 35% tuvieron falla intestinal tipo I, el 58.5% tipo II y el 7.5% tipo III. La media de estancia fue de 51 días para la falla intestinal tipo I, 77,48 días para la tipo II y 68,25 días para la tipo III. La media de estancia hospitalaria para los tres tipos de insuficiencia intestinal fue de 67,79 días. CONCLUSIONES: La estancia hospitalaria prolongada ocurre en una proporción importante de pacientes con falla intestinal, lo que resulta en un aumento de la morbilidad, la mortalidad y los costos. Investigaciones futuras deberían centrarse en la realización de estudios económicos para conocer el impacto que esta cuestión tiene para nuestros sistemas de salud.

Variation in hospital charges in patients with external ventricular drains: comparison between the intensive care and surgical floor settings.

OBJECTIVE: Placement of an external ventricular drain (EVD) is a common and potentially life-saving neurosurgical procedure, but the economic aspect of EVD management and the relationship to medical expenditure remain poorly studied. Similarly, interinstitutional practice patterns vary significantly. Whereas some institutions require that patients with EVDs be monitored strictly within the intensive care unit (ICU), other institutions opt primarily for management of EVDs on the surgical floor. Therefore, an ICU burden for patients with EVDs may increase a patient's costs of hospitalization. The objective of the current study was to examine the expense differences between the ICU and the general neurosurgical floor for EVD care. METHODS: The authors performed a retrospective analysis of data from 2 hospitals within a single, large academic institution-the University of Washington Medical Center (UWMC) and Seattle Children's Hospital (SCH). Hospital charges were evaluated according to patients' location at the time of EVD management: SCH ICU, SCH floor, or UWMC ICU. Daily hospital charges from day of EVD insertion to day of removal were included and screened for days that would best represent baseline expenses for EVD care. Independent-samples Kruskal-Wallis analysis was performed to compare daily charges for the 3 settings. RESULTS: Data from a total of 261 hospital days for 23 patients were included in the analysis. Ten patients were cared for in the UWMC ICU and 13 in the SCH ICU and/or on the SCH neurosurgical floor. The median values for total daily hospital charges were $19,824.68 (interquartile range [IQR] $12,889.73-$38,494.81) for SCH ICU care, $8,620.88 (IQR $6,416.76-$11,851.36) for SCH floor care, and $10,002.13 (IQR $8,465.16-$12,123.03) for UWMC ICU care. At SCH, it was significantly more expensive to provide EVD care in the ICU than on the floor (p < 0.001), and the daily hospital charges for the UWMC ICU were significantly greater than for the SCH floor (p = 0.023). No adverse clinical event related to the presence of an EVD was identified in any of the settings. CONCLUSIONS: ICU admission solely for EVD care is costly. If safe EVD care can be provided outside of the ICU, it would represent a potential area for significant cost savings. Identifying appropriate patients for EVD care on the floor is multifactorial and requires vigilance in balancing the expenses associated with ICU utilization and optimal patient care.

A Dedicated Fracture Reduction Room: A Cost-Effective Alternative to the Operating Room.

INTRODUCTION: Charges, procedural efficiency, return to activity, and complications after closed treatment of fractures performed in an operating room (OR) versus closed reduction in a dedicated fracture reduction room (FRR) were compared. METHODS: Patients with closed fractures of the forearm who underwent closed reduction in the year before (OR), and after implementation of the FRR, were retrospectively reviewed. Charges, American Society of Anesthesiologists class, sex, age, length of follow-up, prior reduction, fracture location/displacement, time from injury to procedure, procedural time, time to return to activity, and complications were recorded. RESULTS: Eighteen patients met the inclusion criteria in the FRR group (13 men, 5 women), and 22 in the OR group (18 men, 4 women). No notable differences in age, sex, follow-up, American Society of Anesthesiologists class, fracture location/displacement, incidence of prior reduction, or time to return to activity were observed. Two (9.5%) complications occurred in the FRR group versus 7 (32%) in the OR group, P > 0.05. No anesthesia complications were present. Patients treated in the FRR incurred charges of $5,299 ± $1,289 versus $10,455 ± $2,290 in the OR, P < 0.001. Total time of visit in the FRR was ∼30% less than the OR, P < 0.001. No notable delay in treatment was observed. DISCUSSION: In the era of finite resources and value-based care, implementation of a FRR resulted in safe, cost-effective, and increased procedural efficiency.

Extended care unit: a feasible economic solution for longer-term palliative inpatients.

Palliative patients who cannot go home are placed into nursing homes. This involves moving between up to five locations in the final weeks of life. We censored all inpatients on a single day from a large tertiary centre to investigate the feasibility of a proposed extended care unit to accommodate patients with a prognosis of less than 90 days, unable to return home, and with nursing home referral process commenced. This study identifies a present demand for an extended care unit (15 patients identified), outlines admission criteria, and proposes a funding model that is predicted to save hospital costs (savings of $207.70 per patient per bed day). This patient-focused approach is a feasible economic solution to the current unmet needs of this patient demographic.

Use of a Pediatric Syncope Unit Improves Diagnosis and Lowers Costs: A Hospital-Based Experience.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the effect of a dedicated pediatric syncope unit on the diagnostic and therapeutic management of children with suspected syncope. We also evaluated the effectiveness of the pediatric syncope unit model in decreasing unnecessary tests and hospitalizations, minimizing social costs, and improving diagnostic yield. STUDY DESIGN: This single-center cohort observational, prospective study enrolled 2278 consecutive children referred to Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital from 2012 to 2017. Characteristics of the study population, number and type of admission examinations, and diagnostic findings before the pediatric syncope unit was implemented (2012-2013) and after the pediatric syncope unit was implemented (2014-2015 and 2016-2017) were compared. RESULTS: The proportion of undefined syncope, number of unnecessary diagnostic tests performed, and number of hospital stay days decreased significantly (P < .0001), with an overall decrease in costs. A multivariable logistic regression analysis, adjusted for confounding variables (age, sex, number of diagnostic tests), the period after pediatric syncope unit (2016-2017) resulted as the best independent predictor of effectiveness for a defined diagnosis of syncope (P < .0001). CONCLUSIONS: Pediatric syncope unit organization with fast-tracking access more appropriate diagnostic tests is effective in terms of accuracy of diagnostic yield and reduction of costs.

[Give the due value to the end of life: the systematic underfunding of specialised palliative care in the Swiss DRG system]. / Der Wert des Lebensendes: am Beispiel der Finanzierung der stationären spezialisierten Palliative Care in der Schweiz.

Give the due value to the end of life: the systematic underfunding of specialised palliative care in the Swiss DRG system Abstract. Palliative care is an integral part of modern medicine, improving quality of life, treatment satisfaction, and reducing the costs of care in severe disease. Patients' access should be early, regardless of age, diagnosis and setting, when incurable or advanced disease has been diagnosed. The public expenditure for specialised palliative care units in hospitals can be seen as yardstick for an appropriate palliative care supply, but in Switzerland only a mere fraction of revenues is dedicated to the palliative care units. Every year, 66'000 patients die in Switzerland, 38 % of them in a hospital. Health care costs for the last year of life account for 1.9 billion Swiss francs, but palliative care units receive only estimated 51 million Swiss francs per year. Reasons are a too little number of palliative care units, a systemic underfunding of their services and a fragmentary supply chain for severely ill or dying patients. This leads to ethically conflicting situations for clinicians. They have to deal with shortage of supply and, due to economic reasons, are forced to transfer severely ill or dying patients into inadequate settings. Based on international recommendations, Switzerland is in need of further 500 beds for specialised palliative care (actually 335), and at least 11'000 patients per year need access to a specialised palliative care service (actually about 3'500). Under the actual tariffing system, units for palliative care in hospitals are endangered in their existence. Corrections of the remuneration system are urgently warranted. On the long run, a national legal basis should be elaborated to safeguard adequate palliative care supply for all patients in need and as a base for monitoring, formation and research in palliative care.

Allied health weekend service provision in Australian rehabilitation units.

OBJECTIVES: To determine current Australian allied health rehabilitation weekend service provision and to identify perceived barriers to and facilitators of weekend service provision. METHODS: Senior physiotherapists from Australian rehabilitation units completed an online cross-sectional survey exploring current service provision, staffing, perceived outcomes, and barriers and facilitators to weekend service provision. RESULTS: A total of 179 (83%) eligible units responded, with 94 facilities (53%) providing weekend therapy. A Saturday service was the most common (97%) with the most frequent service providers being physiotherapists (90%). Rehabilitation weekend service was perceived to increase patient/family satisfaction (66%) and achieve faster goal attainment (55%). Common barriers were budgetary restraints (66%) and staffing availability (54%), with facilitators including organisational support (76%), staff availability (62%) and staff support (61%). CONCLUSION: Despite increasing evidence of effectiveness, only half of Australian rehabilitation facilities provide weekend services. Further efforts are required to translate evidence from clinical trials into feasible service delivery models.

The Economics of an Admissions Holding Unit.

INTRODUCTION: With increasing attention to the actual cost of delivering care, return-on-investment calculations take on new significance. Boarded patients in the emergency department (ED) are harmful to clinical care and have significant financial opportunity costs. We hypothesize that investment in an admissions holding unit for admitted ED patients not only captures opportunity cost but also significantly lowers direct cost of care. METHODS: This was a three-phase study at a busy urban teaching center with significant walkout rate. We first determined the true cost of maintaining a staffed ED bed for one patient-hour and compared it to alternative settings. The opportunity cost for patients leaving without being seen was then conservatively estimated. Lastly, a convenience sample of admitted patients boarding in the ED was observed continuously from one hour after decision-to-admit until physical departure from the ED to capture a record of every interaction with a nurse or physician. RESULTS: Personnel costs per patient bed-hour were $58.20 for the ED, $24.80 for an inpatient floor, $19.20 for the inpatient observation unit, and $10.40 for an admissions holding area. An eight-bed holding unit operating at practical capacity would free 57.4 hours of bed space in the ED and allow treatment of 20 additional patients. This could yield increased revenues of $27,796 per day and capture opportunity cost of $6.09 million over 219 days, in return for extra staffing costs of $218,650. Analysis of resources used for boarded patients was determined by continuous observation of a convenience sample of ED-boarded patients, which found near-zero interactions with both nursing and physicians during the boarding interval. CONCLUSION: Resource expense per ED bed-hour is more than twice that in non-critical care inpatient units. Despite the high cost of available resources, boarded non-critical patients receive virtually no nursing or physician attention. An admissions holding unit is remarkably effective in avoiding the mismatch of the low-needs patients in high-cost care venues. Return on investment is enormous, but this assumes existing clinical space for this unit.

Carbapenemase-producing Acinetobacter baumannii: An outbreak report with special highlights on economic burden.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to describe the management of a carbapenemase-producing Acinetobacter baumannii (CP-AB) outbreak using the Outbreak Reports and Intervention Studies of Nosocomial Infection (ORION) statement. We also aimed to evaluate the cost of the outbreak and simulate costs if a dedicated unit to manage such outbreak had been set-up. METHODS: We performed a prospective epidemiological study. Multiple interventions were implemented including cohorting measures and limitation of admissions. Cost estimation was performed using administrative local data. RESULTS: Five patients were colonized with CP-AB and hospitalized in the neurosurgery ward. The index case was a patient who had been previously hospitalized in Portugal. Four secondary colonized patients were further observed within the unit. The strains of A. baumannii were shown to belong to the same clone and all of them produced an OXA-23 carbapenemase. The closure of the ward associated with the discharge of the five patients in a cohorting area of the Infectious Diseases Unit with dedicated staff put a stop to the outbreak. The estimated cost of this 17-week outbreak was $474,474. If patients had been managed in a dedicated unit - including specific area for cohorting of patients and dedicated staff - at the beginning of the outbreak, the estimated cost would have been $189,046. CONCLUSION: Controlling hospital outbreaks involving multidrug-resistant bacteria requires a rapid cohorting of patients. Using simulation, we highlighted cost gain when using a dedicated cohorting unit strategy for such an outbreak.

Mental Health Conditions and Medical and Surgical Hospital Utilization.

OBJECTIVE: Mental health conditions are prevalent among children hospitalized for medical conditions and surgical procedures, but little is known about their influence on hospital resource use. The objectives of this study were to examine how hospitalization characteristics vary by presence of a comorbid mental health condition and estimate the association of a comorbid mental health condition with hospital length of stay (LOS) and costs. METHODS: Using the 2012 Kids' Inpatient Database, we conducted a retrospective, nationally representative, cross-sectional study of 670 161 hospitalizations for 10 common medical and 10 common surgical conditions among 3- to 20-year-old patients. Associations between mental health conditions and hospital LOS were examined using adjusted generalized linear models. Costs of additional hospital days associated with mental health conditions were estimated using hospital cost-to-charge ratios. RESULTS: A comorbid mental health condition was present in 13.2% of hospitalizations. A comorbid mental health condition was associated with a LOS increase of 8.8% (from 2.5 to 2.7 days, P < .001) for medical hospitalizations and a 16.9% increase (from 3.6 to 4.2 days, P < .001) for surgical hospitalizations. For hospitalizations in this sample, comorbid mental health conditions were associated with an additional 31 729 (95% confidence interval: 29 085 to 33 492) hospital days and $90 million (95% confidence interval: $81 to $101 million) in hospital costs. CONCLUSIONS: Medical and surgical hospitalizations with comorbid mental health conditions were associated with longer hospital stay and higher hospital costs. Knowledge about the influence of mental health conditions on pediatric hospital utilization can inform clinical innovation and case-mix adjustment.