Analysis of micro-costing through the Time-Driven Activity-Based Costing (TDABC) method in viscosupplementation procedures in different application regimens / Análise do microcusteio por meio de método Time-Driven Activity-Based Costing (TDABC) nos procedimentos de viscossuplementação do joelho em diferentes regimes de aplicação

Objective: To evaluate the micro-costing of viscosupplementation procedures compared to different infiltration regimens. Methods: This study compared, through the Time-Driven ActivityBased Costing method, the micro-costing of these different application regimens using national cost averages as a basis for calculation in a medium-sized outpatient service. Results: The results demonstrated that the difference in costs with the single application is 31.47% less for three and 119.13% for five applications. Conclusions: No study showed a superiority of the five-application regimen over the three-application regimen, which leads one to believe that there is no justification for this procedure from an economic or quality-of-life point of view.

Objective: Avaliar o microcusteio dos procedimentos de viscossuplementação do joelho em diferentes regimes de aplicação. Métodos: Este estudo comparou, por meio do método Time-Driven Activity-Based Costing, o microcusteio desses diferentes regimes de aplicação, usando com base de cálculo médias nacionais de custo em um serviço ambulatorial de porte médio. Resultados: Os resultados encontrados demonstraram que a diferença nos custos com a aplicação única é 31,47% menor para três aplicações e 119,13% para cinco aplicações. Conclusão: Em nenhum estudo houve superioridade do regime de cinco aplicações ao regime de três, fato que leva a acreditar que não há nenhuma justificativa para esse procedimento do ponto de vista econômico ou de qualidade de vida do paciente.

Costos hospitalarios por enfermedades prevenibles en la infancia / Hospital costs for preventable diseases in childhood

La infección respiratoria aguda baja, el asma y la enfermedad sibilante bronquial, la gastroenteritis y las causas externas son grupos de enfermedades agudas de posible prevención en la infancia y, en particular, de hospitalizaciones totalmente evitables. Una de las causas fundamentales del número creciente de consultas y egresos hospitalarios de estos grupos de enfermedades es la estrategia deficitaria de la promoción y prevención en salud, generando un mal uso de recursos. Objetivo: Describir los costos de las internaciones de niños y adolescentes por enfermedades de hospitalización prevenible en el Hospital de Niños "Sor María Ludovica" de la ciudad de La Plata (HNLP) y como objetivo específico relacionar el costo de las hospitalizaciones prevenibles con el nivel de cobertura del seguro de salud y el lugar de residencia del paciente en el año 2015. Metodología: Estudio observacional, descriptivo, transversal, retrospectivo. La población de base fueron los egresos por infección respiratoria aguda baja (IRAB), causas externas, gastroenteritis (GEA) y asma con sibilantes bronquiales recurrentes (SBR). Muestreo aleatorio estratificado de 30 pacientes por patología. Se analizaron variables costo hospitalario y cobertura del servicio de salud, utilizando los nomencladores públicos nacional, provincial y de la obra social de la Pcia. Bs. As. Los costos fueron analizados por paciente y por día de internación. Resultados:Los egresos por enfermedades de hospitalización prevenibles correspondieron al 41.2%. El asma fue el 16.8, las causas externas 12.2%, IRAB 7.8% y la GEA 4.4%. El 64% de los egresos de EP fueron internados en las salas de baja complejidad, el 33 % en terapias intermedias y el 3% en alta complejidad. El total de días de internación por enfermedades de hospitalización prevenible 23.123. El 72% no tenían un seguro de salud y residían en el 2do cordón del conglomerado. El valor promedio de los tres nomencladores por nivel de complejidad de un día de internación fue 212 dólares en baja complejidad, 299 dólares en complejidad intermedia y 497 dólares en alta complejidad. Conclusión: Hubo un alto porcentaje de egresos por enfermedades de hospitalizaciones prevenibles. La baja complejidad y los pocos días de internación refuerzan su revisibilidad. La baja condición socioeconómica por lugar de residencia y falta de seguro de salud son factores de riesgo asociados. Los altos costos demostrados por hospitalizaciones prevenibles pueden aminorarse con políticas certeras de promoción y prevención en salud especialmente en poblaciones vulnerables

Acute lower respiratory infection, asthma and bronchial wheezing disease, gastroenteritis and external causes are groups of acute diseases of possible prevention in childhood and, in particular, of totally avoidable hospitalizations. One of the fundamental causes of the growing number of consultations and hospital discharges of these groups of diseases is the deficient strategy of health promotion and prevention, generating a misuse of resources. Objective: Describe the costs of hospitalizations of children and adolescents for preventable hospitalization diseases at the "Sor María Ludovica" Children's Hospital in the city of La Plata (HNLP) and as a specific objective to relate the cost of preventable hospitalizations with the level of health insurance coverage and the patient's place of residence in 2015. Methodology: Retrospective cross-sectional, observational, descriptive study. The base population was discharges for acute lower respiratory infection (IRAB), external causes, gastroenteritis (GEA) and asthma with recurrent bronchial wheezing (SBR). Stratified random sampling of 30 patients by pathology. Variables hospital cost and health service coverage were analyzed, using the national,provincial and social work public nomenclators of the Pcia. Bs. As. Costs were analyzed per patient and per day of hospitalization. Results: Discharges for preventable hospitalization diseases were 41.2%: Asthma was 16.77%, external causes 12.2%, IRAB 7.8% and GEA 4.4%. Sixty four percent of these discharges were hospitalized in low complexity rooms, 33% in intermediate therapies and 3% in high complexity. The total number of days of hospitalization for preventable hospitalization diseases was 23,123. SEventy two percent did not have health insurance and reside in the 2nd cordon of the conglomerate. The average cost, according to the three nomenclators, per level of complexity of a day of hospitalization is $212 in low complexity, $299 in intermediate complexity and $497 in high complexity. Conclusion: There was a high percentage of discharges for potentially preventable diseases. The low complexity and the few days of hospitalization reinforce its predictability. Low socioeconomic status by place of residence and lack of health insurance are associated risk factors. The high costs demonstrated by preventable hospitalizations can be reduced with accurate health promotion and prevention policies, especially in vulnerable populations

Eficiência nos atendimentos hospitalares nas capitais brasileiras no período de 2014-2017 / Efficiency in hospital care in Brazilian capitals for the period 2014-2017

Objetivo: Analisar o nível de eficiência dos atendimentos hospitalares nas capitais estaduais e Distrito Federal entre os anos de 2014 a 2017. Métodos: O método de investigação utilizado foi a Análise Envoltória de Dados para estimar os níveis de eficiência dos recursos. Resultados: Os resultados indicam que ocorrem diferenças no nível de eficiência das capitais estaduais e Distrito Federal, sendo possível desenvolver o potencial das unidades ineficientes, de forma que aumentem a eficiência técnica nos atendimentos hospitalares. Conclusão: Analisar o uso dos recursos públicos contribui para identificar se os recursos estão sendo aplicados de forma eficiente e, quando não, sinaliza para a necessidade de tomada de decisões mais coerentes com a realidade de cada capital.

Objective: Analyze the level of efficiency of the hospital care in the Brazilian capitals and the Federal District between the years 2014 to 2017. Methods: The investigation method used was the Data Envelopment Analysis to estimate resource the resource efficiency levels. Results: The results indicate that there are differences in the level of efficiency of the state capitals and the Federal District, making it possible to develop the potential of inefficient units, in order to increase technical efficiency in hospital care. Conclusion: Analyzing the use of public resources helps to identify whether resources are being applied efficiently and when not, they signal the need for decision making that is more consistent with the reality of each capital.

Costo de atención de recién nacidos con peso 1500 gramos en el Hospital Penna, Bahía Blanca, Argentina / Costs for the health care of newborns weighing up to 1500 g at Penna Hospital, Bahía Blanca, Argentina

INTRODUCCIÓN: Los sistemas de costos por servicio hospitalario permiten evaluar la eficiencia en la utilización de recursos y son la base para realizar estudios comparativos entre grupos de pacientes con características diferenciales. La internación en Neonatología de niños de bajo peso al nacer presenta especial interés por su complejidad y alto costo. El objetivo fue estimar los costos directos del día de internación en el Servicio de Neonatología del Hospital Interzonal Dr. José Penna de pacientes con peso al ingreso menor o igual a 1500 g en 2019. MÉTODOS: Se realizó un estudio retrospectivo, para el cual se relevaron datos del Servicio de Neonatología y de las áreas de compras y personal del Hospital. Se estimó el costo promedio por día de internación y por egreso del total del Servicio y de los recién nacidos con peso de hasta 1500 g. RESULTADOS: El estudio se realizó sobre 489 egresos. El costo directo promedio por día de internación fue de $17.755. Para el grupo de peso ≤ 1500 g, el promedio de días de internación fue de 55,9 y el costo promedio por egreso, de $992.191; para ≤ 1000 g, de 80,6 y $1.430.229, respectivamente. Se evidenció un fuerte impacto del bajo peso al nacer: el 8% de los egresos con vida de Neonatología genera el 33% de los costos del proceso de internación neonatal. DISCUSIÓN: Es importante realizar estudios de costos por servicio hospitalario, en especial por grupos de casos, a fin de generar información útil para la toma de decisiones.

Comparative analysis between prevention and treatment costs for gestational diabetes mellitus in primary and tertiary health care in a city in Southern Brazil / Análise comparativa entre os custos de prevenção e tratamento do diabetes mellitus gestacional na assistência à saúde primária e terciária em uma cidade do Sul do Brasil

Objective: The present study's purpose is to evaluate the economic context in which the Brazilian public health system, the only universal public health system with more than 200 million users, stands out. This evaluation will be made through the lens of the execution of gestational health care services in a city of approximately 500 thousand inhabitants in southern Brazil. The care costs of patients with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) will be compared to those of patients without GDM, analyzing the different economic valuation methods. And lastly, there was an intent to explore the generated costs in the context of economic valuation applied to health to comprehend better the complexity of the union of the financial and health areas to optimize the services offered. Methods: For the economic context in health, an analysis of health investments was performed through the Transparency Portal. The costs involved in preventing GDM were raised by the Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS) table of procedures performed ordinarily in low-risk pregnancies. The expenses involved in DMG patients were increased at the High-Risk Pregnancy and Fetal Medicine Clinic of DMG patients. Results: Preventing GDM is more cost-effective, cost-minimizing, and cost-useful than treating patients diagnosed with GDM. Conclusion: The result is an extremely interesting costopportunity, given the economic context in which it is presented

Objetivo: O presente estudo tem como objetivo avaliar o contexto econômico em que se encontra o sistema público de saúde brasileiro, único sistema público universal de saúde com mais de 200 milhões de usuários. Essa avaliação será feita sob a ótica da execução de serviços de saúde gestacional em um município de aproximadamente 500 mil habitantes no Sul do Brasil. Os custos assistenciais de pacientes com diabetes mellitus gestacional (DMG) serão comparados aos de pacientes sem DMG, analisando os diferentes métodos de valoração econômica. Também serão analisados os custos gerados no contexto da valoração econômica aplicada à saúde para uma melhor com preensão da complexidade da união das áreas econômica e da saúde com o objetivo de otimizar os serviços oferecidos. Métodos: Para a contextualização econômica em saúde, foi feita a análise dos investimentos em saúde pelo Portal da Transparência. Os custos envolvidos na prevenção da DMG foram levantados pela tabela de procedimentos realizados ordinariamente em gestações de baixo risco do Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS). Os custos envolvidos em pacientes com DMG foram levantados no Ambulatório de Gestação de Alto Risco e Medicina Fetal de pacientes com DMG. Resultados: Prevenir o DMG apresenta maiores custo-benefício, custo-efetividade, custo-minimização e custo-utilidade em comparação com o tratamento das pacientes com o diagnóstico de DMG. Conclusão: O resultado é um custo-oportunidade extremamente interessante, dado o contexto econômico em que se apresenta

Process Mapping and Activity-Based Costing of the Intravitreal Injection Procedure.

PURPOSE/AIM OF THE STUDY: To quantify the cost of performing an intravitreal injection (IVI) utilizing activity-based costing (ABC), which allocates a cost to each resource involved in a manufacturing process. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective, observational cohort study was performed at an urban, multi-specialty ophthalmology practice affiliated with an academic institution. Fourteen patients scheduled for an IVI-only visit with a retina ophthalmologist were observed from clinic entry to exit to create a process map of time and resource utilization. Indirect costs were allocated with ABC and direct costs were estimated based on process map observations, internal accounting records, employee interviews, and nationally-reported metrics. The primary outcome measure was the cost of an IVI procedure in United States dollars. Secondary outcomes included operating income (cost subtracted from revenue) of an IVI and patient-centric time utilization for an IVI. RESULTS: The total cost of performing an IVI was $128.28; average direct material, direct labor, and overhead costs were $2.14, $97.88, and $28.26, respectively. Compared to the $104.40 reimbursement set by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for Current Procedural Terminology code 67028, this results in a negative operating income of -$23.88 (-22.87%). The median clinic resource-utilizing time to complete an IVI was 32:58 minutes (range [19:24-1:28:37]); the greatest bottleneck was physician-driven electronic health record documentation. CONCLUSIONS: Our study provides an objective and accurate cost estimate of the IVI procedure and illustrates how ABC may be applied in a clinical context. Our findings suggest that IVIs may currently be undervalued by payors.

A realidade das informações da política de medicamentos especializados nos websites das Secretarias Estaduais de Saúde / The reality of the information of the specialized drug policy on the websites of the State Health Departments / La realidad de la información especializada sobre políticas de medicamentos en los sitios web del Departamento de Salud del Estado

O objetivo desse artigo é analisar como os sites das Secretarias Estaduais de Saúde da Paraíba, Bahia, Santa Catarina e Rio Grande do Sul disponibilizam informações sobre a política de medicamentos brasileira para os usuários do SUS. Com base em uma metodologia qualitativa, observa-se uma variedade de formas de organização e apresentação das informações estruturadas em uma linguagem predominantemente técnica, em desacordo com o nível de instrução da população, em oposição à uma comunicação pública que deve ser, segundo a norma legal, acessível e compreensível por gestores, profissionais e atores da sociedade civil, superando o linguajar do corpo técnico-burocrático para que a política pública seja apropriada pela sociedade. Ao identificar uma distância existente entre lei e realidade, conclui-se enunciando limites e desafios a serem superados pelos agentes políticos no aprofundamento e desenvolvimento de metodologias voltadas para a qualidade do acesso às informações da política pública de medicamentos pela população.

The objective of this article is to analyze how the websites of the State Health Departments of Paraíba, Bahia, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul provide information about the Brazilian drug policy for SUS users. Based on a qualitative methodology, a variety of forms of organization and presentation of structured information are observed in a predominantly technical language, in disagreement with the level of education of the population of these states, as opposed to a public communication that must be, according to the legal norm, accessible and understandable by managers, professionals and civil society actors, overcoming the language of the technical-bureaucratic body so that public policy is appropriated by society. When identifying a distance between law and reality, it concludes by stating a limits and challenges to be overcome by the political agents in the deepening and development of methodologies focused on the quality of access to information on public policy of medicines by the population.

El propósito de este documento es analizar cómo los sitios web de los Departamentos de Salud del Estado de Paraíba, Bahía, Santa Catarina y Rio Grande do Sul proporcionan información sobre la política de drogas de Brasil a los usuarios del SUS. Basado en una metodología cualitativa, se puede observar una variedad de formas de organización y presentación de información estructurada en un lenguaje predominantemente técnico, en desacuerdo con el nivel educativo de la población, en oposición a una comunicación pública que debe ser, según la norma, legal, accesible y comprensible para gerentes, profesionales y actores de la sociedad civil, superando el lenguaje del cuerpo técnico-burocrático para que la sociedad se apropie de las políticas públicas. Al identificar una distancia existente entre la ley y la realidad, concluimos estableciendo límites y desafíos que deben superar los agentes políticos en la profundización y el desarrollo de metodologías dirigidas a la calidad del acceso a la información de las políticas públicas sobre medicamentos por parte de la población.

A Paradigm Shift in Physician Reimbursement: A Model to Align Reimbursement to Value in Laparoscopic Colorectal Surgery in the United States.

BACKGROUND: Despite common beliefs, underuse of laparoscopic colorectal surgery remains an issue. A paradigm shift to increase laparoscopy and align payment with effort is needed, with pressures to improve value. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to compare reimbursement across surgical approach and payer for common colorectal procedures and to propose a novel way to increase use in the United States. DATA SOURCES: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (Medicare) reimbursement and commercial claims data from 2012 to 2015 were used. STUDY SELECTION: Reimbursement across payers was mapped for the 10 most common colorectal procedures using the open and laparoscopic approaches. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The reimbursement difference across approaches by payer and potential value proposition from a cost-shifting model increasing reimbursement with corresponding increases in laparoscopic use was measured. RESULTS: For Medicare, reimbursement was lower laparoscopically than open for the majority. With commercial, laparoscopy was reimbursed less for 3 procedures. When laparoscopic reimbursement was higher, the amount was not substantial. Medicare payments were consistently lower than commercial, with corresponding lower reimbursement for laparoscopy. Increasing reimbursement by 10%, 20%, and 30% resulted in significant cost savings with laparoscopy. Savings were amplified with increasing use, with additional savings over baseline at all levels, except 30% reimbursement/10% increased use. LIMITATIONS: The study was limited by the use of claims data, which could have coding errors and confounding in the case mix across approaches. CONCLUSIONS: Reimbursement for laparoscopic colorectal surgery is comparatively lower than open. Reimbursement can be increased with significant overall cost savings, as the reimbursement/case is still less than total cost savings with laparoscopy compared with open cases. Incentivizing surgeons toward laparoscopy could drive use and improve outcomes, cost, and quality as we shift to value-based payment. See Video Abstract at http://links.lww.com/DCR/B290. CAMBIOS EN LOS PARADIGMAS DE REEMBOLSOS MÉDICOS: UN MODELO PARA ALINEAR EL REEMBOLSO AL VALOR REAL DE LA CIRUGÍA COLORRECTAL LAPAROSCÓPICA EN LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS: A pesar de las creencias comunes, la subutilización de la cirugía colorrectal laparoscópica sigue siendo un problema. Se necesita un cambio en los paradigmas para aumentar y alinear el rembolso de la laparoscopia aplicando mucho esfuerzo para obtener una mejoría en su valor real.Comparar los reembolsos del abordaje quirúrgico y los de la administración para procedimientos colorrectales comunes y proponer una nueva forma de aumentar su uso en los Estados Unidos.Reembolsos en los Centros de Servicios de Medicare y Medicaid (Medicare) y los datos de reclamos comerciales encontrados de 2012-2015.El reembolso administrativo se mapeó para los diez procedimientos colorrectales más comunes utilizando los enfoques abiertos y laparoscópicos.Diferencias de reembolso entre los enfoques por parte de la administración y la propuesta de valor real de un modelo de cambio de costos que aumentan el reembolso con los aumentos correspondientes si se utiliza la laparoscopía.Para Medicare, el reembolso fue menor para una mayoría por vía laparoscópica que abierta. Comercialmente, la laparoscopia se reembolsó menos por 3 procedimientos. Cuando el reembolso laparoscópico fue mayor, la cantidad no fue sustancial. Los pagos de Medicare fueron consistentemente más bajos que los pagos comerciales, con el correspondiente reembolso más bajo por laparoscopia. El aumento del reembolso en un 10%, 20% y 30% resultó en ahorros de costos significativos con la laparoscopía. Los ahorros se amplificaron con el aumento de la utilización, con ahorros adicionales sobre la línea de base en todos los niveles, excepto el 30% de reembolso / 10% de mayor uso.Uso de datos de reclamos, que podrían tener errores de codificación y confusión en la combinación de casos entre enfoques.El reembolso por la cirugía colorrectal laparoscópica es comparativamente más bajo que el abordaje abierto. El reembolso se puede aumentar con ahorros significativos en los costos generales, ya que el reembolso / caso es aún menor que el ahorro total en los costos de la laparoscopia en comparación con los casos abiertos. Incentivar a los cirujanos hacia la laparoscopía podría impulsar la utilización y mejorar los resultados, el costo y la calidad a medida que se pasa al pago basado en el valor real. Consulte Video Resumen en http://links.lww.com/DCR/B290. (Traducción-Dr Xavier Delgadillo).

Patient-initiated follow-up for low-risk endometrial cancer: a cost-analysis evaluation.

OBJECTIVE: Risk stratification has resulted in patient-initiated follow-up being introduced for low-risk endometrial cancer in place of routine hospital follow-up. The financial benefit to the patient and the healthcare economy of patient-initiated follow-up, as compared with hospital follow-up, has yet to be explored. In this study, we explored the potential impact for both the healthcare economy and patients of patient-initiated follow-up. METHODS: Women diagnosed with low-risk endometrial cancer enrolled on a patient-initiated follow-up scheme between November 2014 and September 2018 were included. Data on the number of telephone calls to the nurse specialists and clinic appointments attended were collected prospectively. The number of clinic appointments that would have taken place if the patient had continued on hospital follow-up, rather than starting on patient-initiated follow-up, was calculated and costs determined using standard National Health Service (NHS) reference costs. The time/distance traveled by patients from their home address to the hospital clinic was calculated and used to determine patient-related costs. RESULTS: A total of 187 patients with a median of 37 (range 2-62) months follow-up after primary surgery were enrolled on the scheme. In total, the cohort were scheduled to attend 1673 appointments with hospital follow-up, whereas they only attended 69 clinic appointments and made 107 telephone contacts with patient-initiated follow-up. There was a 93.5% reduction in costs from a projected £194 068.00 for hospital follow-up to £12 676.33 for patient-initiated follow-up. The mean patient-related costs were reduced by 95.6% with patient-initiated follow-up. The total mileage traveled by patients for hospital follow-up was 30 891.4 miles, which was associated with a mean traveling time per patient of 7.41 hours and clinic/waiting time of 7.5 hours compared with 1165.8 miles and 0.46 hours and 0.5 hours, respectively, for patient-initiated follow-up. CONCLUSION: The introduction of a patient self-management follow-up scheme for low-risk endometrial cancer was associated with financial/time saving to both the patient and the healthcare economy as compared with hospital follow-up.

Aprueban el valor costo-hora para el cálculo de la entrega económica por los servicios complementarios en salud / They approve the cost-hour value for calculating the economic delivery for complementary health services

El documento contiene el valor de costo-hora para el cálculo de la entrega económica por los servicios complementarios en salud que realicen los profesionales de la salud (RM 143-2020-MINSA), así mismo contiene la RM 237-2020-MINSA, que modifica el artículo 2 del documento principal.

Metodología para la estimación de costos estándar de procedimientos médicos o procedimientos sanitarios en las instituciones prestadoras de servicios de salud / Methodology for the estimation of standard costs of medical procedures or sanitary procedures in the institutions providing health services

El documento contiene una serie de criterios para la definición de costos de procedimientos médicos o procedimientos sanitarios en las IPRESS, los cuales de encuentran concordados con la normativa nacional e internacional de contabilidad para el Sector Público.

Establishing funding rates for colonoscopy and gastroscopy procedures in Ontario.

Introduction: This paper describes the funding rates established in Ontario to reflect best practices in hospital-based care delivery for these endoscopic procedures: colonoscopy, colonoscopy biopsy, gastroscopy, gastroscopy biopsy, and colonoscopy combined with gastroscopy. Methods: The funding rates are based on direct costs and were established using a micro-costing approach after receipt of inputs from 3 working groups and a review of the administrative data and literature, where applicable. The first group advised on nursing activities, time, and staffing ratios along the patient pathway for each of the procedures. The second group provided recommendations about the duration for each procedure, and the third group provided information about supplies and equipment, their use, and costs. Results: The resulting funding rates are $161.18 for colonoscopy and $151.08 for gastroscopy (without accompanying interventions), $16.06 for colonoscopy biopsy and $8.22 for gastroscopy biopsy (added to the respective procedures), and $207.26 for combined colonoscopy and gastroscopy. Detailed costs for each component embedded in the rates are also provided. Conclusions: The rates came into effect in April 2018. The process and outcomes described here allowed for a transparent pricing mechanism in which funding follows the patient, clinical expert consensus is the basis for practice, and providers and payers both understand the components.

Maryland's Experiment With Capitated Payments For Rural Hospitals: Large Reductions In Hospital-Based Care.

In 2010 Maryland replaced fee-for-service payment for some rural hospitals with "global budgets" for hospital-provided services called Total Patient Revenue (TPR). A principal goal was to incentivize hospitals to manage resources efficiently. Using a difference-in-differences design, we compared eight TPR hospitals to seven similar non-TPR Maryland hospitals to estimate how TPR affected hospital-provided services. We also compared health care use by "treated" patients in TPR counties to that of patients in counties containing control hospitals. Inpatient admissions and outpatient services fell sharply at TPR hospitals, increasingly so over the period that TPR was in effect. Emergency department (ED) admission rates declined 12 percent, direct (non-ED) admissions fell 23 percent, ambulatory surgery center visits fell 45 percent, and outpatient clinic visits and services fell 40 percent. However, for residents of TPR counties, visits to all Maryland hospitals fell by lesser amounts and Medicare spending increased, which suggests that some care moved outside of the global budget. Nonetheless, we could not assess the efficiency of these shifts with our data, and some care could have moved to more efficient locations. Our evidence suggests that capitation models require strong oversight to ensure that hospitals do not respond by shifting costs to other providers.

The Effect of Medical Technology Innovations on Patient Outcomes, 1990-2015: Results of a Physician Survey.

BACKGROUND: Developments in diagnostics, medical devices, procedures, and prescription drugs have increased life expectancy and quality of life after diagnosis for many diseases. Previous research has shown that, overall, increased investment in medical technology has led to increased health outcomes. In addition, the value of investment in specific innovations, particularly in new pharmaceuticals or biopharmaceuticals, has frequently been shown through an evaluation of the associated health outcomes and costs. Value assessments for all medical technologies and interventions are an important consideration in current debates on access and affordability of health care in the United States. OBJECTIVE: To identify practicing physician impressions of the historical effect of postdiagnosis innovations in medical technology on patient outcomes within the 8 health conditions that have the largest effect on health in the United States. METHODS: National statistics were used to identify the 8 conditions responsible for the most mortality and morbidity within the United States between 1990 and 2014. A physician survey was developed for each major condition to obtain physician opinion on the extent to which pharmaceuticals and biopharmaceuticals, medical devices, diagnostics, and surgical procedures contributed to improvements in postdiagnosis mortality and morbidity outcomes over the evaluated period. Respondents were provided with a fifth category, "cannot allocate," to account for postdiagnosis outcome gains resulting from other factors such as public health interventions. RESULTS: The conditions identified as having the greatest effect on morbidity and mortality since 1990 were breast cancer, ischemic heart disease, human immunodeficiency virus infection, diabetes, unipolar depression, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cerebrovascular disease, and lung cancer. After excluding other factors, physicians specializing in these conditions, with a mean of 21.4 years in practice, considered pharmaceuticals and biopharmaceuticals as having the greatest postdiagnosis effect across all 8 conditions, with 56% of outcome gains attributed to this innovation category. Diagnostics was the second biggest contributor at 20%. CONCLUSIONS: Physician perceptions indicated that attention should be paid to value assessments of innovative diagnostics, devices, and surgical procedures, as well as to pharmaceuticals and biopharmaceuticals, before goals for allocating health care expenditures among the different innovations are determined. DISCLOSURES: Funding for this study was provided by the National Pharmaceutical Council, a health policy research group that receives its funding from biopharmaceutical manufacturers. Wamble is employed by RTI Health Solutions, which received funding from the National Pharmaceutical Council to conduct this research. Ciarametaro and Dubois are employed by the National Pharmaceutical Council.

Implementation of Robotic Surgery in a Pediatric Hospital: Lessons Learned.

BACKGROUND: Since the late 1980s, minimally invasive surgery (MIS) has been one of the fastest growing approaches for surgical procedures. However, its development has reached a plateau. One of the reasons is the difficulty to operate on more complex cases, such as neonatal procedures. Some experts report outstanding outcomes for complex operations, but not all surgeons may be able to achieve the same results. Is robotic surgery (RS) a solution? METHODS: To answer this question, we reviewed the current indications of RS for the pediatric population and the steps needed to incorporate the robotic surgical system in a children's hospital. We reported our experience and presented our first results and the encountered problems. RESULTS: After a year and a half of experience with RS, several lessons were learned: (1) the current robotic surgical system cannot yet be considered a replacement to conventional MIS, (2) docking is less time consuming than expected, (3) postoperative pain is significantly decreased, (4) the absence of haptic feedback is still a matter of concern, and (5) costs can be afforded by sharing the RS with adult surgeons. CONCLUSIONS: Based on our experience, the advantages seem to outweigh the drawbacks as it encourages team building and increases overall comfort for the surgeon. However, the current literature fails to prove that RS gives better results for pediatric patients. New advances in technology will probably help to overcome the encountered difficulties and the high costs.

Financial protection of households against health shocks in Greece during the economic crisis.

BACKGROUND: Harsh funding cutbacks along with measures shifting cost to patients have been implemented in the Greek health system in recent years. Our objective was to investigate the evolution of financial protection of Greek households against out-of-pocket payments (OOPP) during the economic crisis. METHODS: National representative data of 33,091 households were derived from the Household Budget Surveys for the period 2008-2015. Financial protection was assessed by applying the approaches of catastrophic (CHE) and impoverishing OOPP. The determinants of CHE and impoverishment were examined using binary logistic regressions. RESULTS: OOPP dropped by 23.5% in real values between 2008 and 2015, though their share in households' budget rose from 6.9% to 7.8%, with an increasing trend since 2012. These outcomes were driven by significant increases in medical products (20.2%) and inpatient (63%) OOPP, while outpatient expenses decreased considerably (-62%). Both incidence and overshoot of CHE were significantly exacerbated. The additional burden was distributed progressively, hence, financial risk inequalities decreased. Food poverty increased, but its incidence still remains at very low levels. Both incidence and intensity of relative poverty increased considerably in real terms. The poverty impact of OOPP is aggravating following 2012, and 1.9% of individuals were impoverished due to OOPP in 2015. Households of higher size, lower expenditure quintile, in urban areas, without disabled, elderly or young children members, and with younger or retired, better-educated breadwinners were significantly less vulnerable to CHE. Households in the lower-middle expenditure quintile, in rural regions, and with elderly members were facing higher risk, while wealthier families exhibited a considerable lower likelihood of impoverishment. CONCLUSIONS: The expansion of reliance of healthcare funding on OOPP has increased the financial risk and hardship of Greek households, which may disrupt their living conditions and create barriers to healthcare access. Cost-sharing policies should recognise the different social protection needs of households.

The hidden costs: Identification of indirect costs associated with acute gastrointestinal illness in an Inuit community.

BACKGROUND: Acute gastrointestinal illness (AGI) incidence and per-capita healthcare expenditures are higher in some Inuit communities as compared to elsewhere in Canada. Consequently, there is a demand for strategies that will reduce the individual-level costs of AGI; this will require a comprehensive understanding of the economic costs of AGI. However, given Inuit communities' unique cultural, economic, and geographic contexts, there is a knowledge gap regarding the context-specific indirect costs of AGI borne by Inuit community members. This study aimed to identify the major indirect costs of AGI, and explore factors associated with these indirect costs, in the Inuit community of Rigolet, Canada, in order to develop a case-based context-specific study framework that can be used to evaluate these costs. METHODS: A mixed methods study design and community-based methods were used. Qualitative in-depth, group, and case interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis to identify and describe indirect costs of AGI specific to Rigolet. Data from two quantitative cross-sectional retrospective surveys were analyzed using univariable regression models to examine potential associations between predictor variables and the indirect costs. RESULTS/SIGNIFICANCE: The most notable indirect costs of AGI that should be incorporated into cost-of-illness evaluations were the tangible costs related to missing paid employment and subsistence activities, as well as the intangible costs associated with missing community and cultural events. Seasonal cost variations should also be considered. This study was intended to inform cost-of-illness studies conducted in Rigolet and other similar research settings. These results contribute to a better understanding of the economic impacts of AGI on Rigolet residents, which could be used to help identify priority areas and resource allocation for public health policies and programs.

Referral patterns and implementation costs of the Partners in Recovery initiative in Gippsland: learnings for the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

OBJECTIVE:: The purpose of this paper is to provide some learnings for the NDIS from the referral pattern and cost of implementing the Partners in Recovery initiative of Gippsland. METHOD:: Information on referral areas made for each consumer was collated from support facilitators. Cost estimates were determined using budget estimates, administrative costs and a literature review and are reported from a government perspective. RESULTS:: Sixty-three per cent of all referrals were made to organisations that provided multiple types of services. Thirty-one per cent were to Mental Health Community Support Services. Eighteen per cent of referrals were made to clinical mental health services. The total cost of providing the service for a consumer per year (set-up and ongoing) was estimated to be AUD$15,755 and the ongoing cost per year was estimated to be AUD$13,434. The cost of doing nothing is likely to cost more in the longer term, with poor mental health outcomes such as hospital admission, unemployment benefits, prison, homelessness and psychiatric residential care. CONCLUSIONS:: Supporting recovery in persons with Severe and Persistent Mental Illness is likely to be economically more beneficial than not doing so. Recovery can be better supported when frequently utilised services are co-located. These might be some learnings for the NDIS.