scholarly journals Unraveling COVID-19-related hospital costs: The impact of clinical and demographic conditions

Author(s):  
Anna Miethke-Morais ◽  
Alex Cassenote ◽  
Heloísa Piva ◽  
Eric Tokunaga ◽  
Vilson Cobello ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTIntroductionAlthough patients’ clinical conditions were previously shown to be associated with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) severity and outcomes, their impact on hospital costs is not known. The economic evaluation of COVID-19 admissions allows the assessment of hospital costs associated with the treatment of these patients, including the main cost components and costs driven by demographic and clinical conditions. The aim of this study was to determine the COVID-19 hospitalization-related costs and their association with clinical conditions.MethodsProspective observational cohort study of the hospitalization costs of patients with COVID-19 admitted between March 30 and June 30, 2020, who were followed until discharge, death, or external transfer, using micro-costing methodology. The study was carried out in the Central Institute of the Hospital das Clinicas, affiliated with the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil, which is the largest hospital complex in Latin America and was designated to exclusively admit COVID-19 patients during the pandemic response.ResultsThe average cost of the 3,254 admissions (51.7% of which involved intensive care unit (ICU) stays) was US$12,637.42. Overhead cost was the main cost component, followed by daily fixed costs and drugs. Sex, age and underlying hypertension (US$14,746.77), diabetes (US$15,002.12), obesity (US$18,941.55), cancer (US$10,315.06), chronic renal failure (US$15,377.84), and rheumatic (US$17,764.61), hematologic (US$15,908.25) and neurologic diseases (US$15,257.95) were significantly associated with higher costs. Age >69 years, RT-PCR-confirmed COVID-19, comorbidities, the use of mechanical ventilation, dialysis, or surgery, and poor outcomes remained significantly associated with higher costs after model adjustment.ConclusionKnowledge of COVID-19-associated hospital costs and their impact across different populations can aid in the development of a generalizable and comprehensive approach to hospital preparedness, decision-making and planning for future risk management. Determining the disease-associated costs is the first step in evaluating the cost-effectiveness of treatments and vaccination programs.SUMMARY BOXQuestionWhat are the COVID-19 hospitalization-related costs?FindingsIn this prospective cohort that was carried out in a single reference quaternary center designated for the treatment of severe cases of COVID-19, more than three thousand patients were included, and their costs of hospitalization were found to be directly related to the age and comorbidities. The costs were more than 50% higher in older patients, 10-24% higher in patients with comorbidities, and 24-200% higher when additional therapeutic procedures were required.MeaningDetermining the disease-associated costs is the first step in conducting future evaluations of the cost-effectiveness of treatments and vaccination programs, supporting their implementation with a comprehensive population-based approach.

2020 ◽  
Vol 3-4 (213-214) ◽  
pp. 8-16
Author(s):  
Andrey Avdeyev ◽  
◽  
Murat Mukarov ◽  
Sabira Zhaugasheva ◽  
Lubov Piven ◽  
...  

Riociguat is included in international guidelines and local clinical protocols for the treatment of pulmonary hypertension (PH) and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH), where it is the first choice drug for the treatment of patients with inoperable, persistent and recurrent forms of CTEPH. Therefore, it is necessary to include this drug in the GVoFMC (The Guaranteed Volume of Free Medical Care) reimbursement lists and the CSHI (Compulsory Social Health Insurance) system, which will alleviate access to medication for patients suffering from PH and CTEPH. Purpose of the study. Determination of the cost effectiveness parameters of using riociguat in comparison with bosentan and combined therapy of bosentan/sildenafil in medication therapy of CTEPH. Material and methods. A Markov model of CTEPH dynamics in patients with riociguat prescription was developed in comparison with application of bosentan and sildenafil. Modeling step was 16 weeks, modeling horizon – 10 years. Direct medical costs per patient were taken into account in the model, including the cost of drug therapy, costs of outpatient visits due to CTEPH, hospitalization costs due to clinical deterioration of CTEPH, emergency calls. Results and discussion. The results of “cost-effectiveness” Markov pharmacoeconomic modeling showed that riociguat application reveals a dominant position in comparison with the practice of using bosentan with addition of sildenafil for specific therapy at deterioration of patient's condition up to III-IV functional class (FC). Riociguat is characterized by the best values of “cost effectiveness” coefficients according to efficiency criterion of FC increase and the “value of 6-min walk distance test”. The results of analysis of the impact on budget showed that inclusion of riociguat in GVoFMC/CSHI will lead to budget savings of 154 million tenge in the first year, 294 million tenge in the second year and 415 million tenge in the third year compared to the existing clinical practice without riociguat use. Conclusions. On the basis of conducted complex pharmacoeconomic analysis, the application of riociguat in patients with inoperable or persistent/ recurrent form of CTEPH is a more preferable strategy in comparison with the strategy of application of bosentan with addition of sildenafil and will allow to reduce budget expenses within the framework of GVoFMC and CSHI system. Keywords: pulmonary hypertension, chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension, riociguat.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eleanor V. Williams ◽  
Chidubem B. Okeke Ogwulu ◽  
Claudia S. Estcourt ◽  
Alison R. Howarth ◽  
Andrew Copas ◽  
...  

Objective: To investigate the cost-effectiveness of accelerated partner therapy (APT) compared with standard contact tracing for people with sexually transmitted chlamydia infection in the United Kingdom Design: Economic evaluation using a model consisting of two components: a population-based chlamydia transmission component, to estimate the impact of APT on chlamydia prevalence, and an economic component, to estimate the impact of APT on healthcare costs and health outcomes. Setting: United Kingdom Participants: Hypothetical heterosexual population of 50,000 men and 50,000 women aged 16-34 years. Main Outcome Measures: Cost-effectiveness based on quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) gained and major outcomes averted (MOA), defined as mild pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), severe PID, chronic pelvic pain, ectopic pregnancy, tubal factor infertility and epididymitis. Results: For a model population of 50,000 men and 50,000 women and an APT intervention lasting 5 years, the intervention cost of APT (&pound135,201) is greater than the intervention cost of standard contact tracing (&pound116,334). When the costs of complications arising from chlamydia are considered, the total cost of APT (&pound370,657) is lower than standard contact tracing (&pound379,597). Thus, APT yields a total cost saving of approximately &pound9000 and leads to 73 fewer major outcomes and 21 fewer QALYs lost. Hence, APT is the dominant PN strategy. APT remained cost-effective across the full range of sensitivity analyses. Conclusions: Based on cost-effectiveness grounds APT is likely to be recommended as an alternative to standard contact tracing for chlamydia infection in the United Kingdom


Author(s):  
Daniel Varela ◽  
Tyson Burnham ◽  
Heidi May ◽  
Tami Bair ◽  
Benjamin Steinberg ◽  
...  

Background: There exists variability in the administration of inpatient sotalol therapy for symptomatic atrial fibrillation(AF). The impact of this variability on patient in-hospital and 30-day post-hospitalization costs and outcomes is not known. Also, the cost impact of intravenous sotalol, which can accelerate drug loading to therapeutic levels, is unknown. Methods: 133 AF patients admitted for sotalol initiation at an Intermountain Healthcare Hospital from January 2017-December 2018 were included. Patient and dosing characteristics were described descriptively, and the impact of dosing schedule was correlated with daily hospital costs/clinical outcomes during the index hospitalization and for 30 days. The CMS reimbursement for 3-day sotalol initiation is $9,263.51. Projections of cost savings were made considering a 1-day load using intravenous sotalol that costs $2,500.00 to administer. Results: The average age was 70.3±12.3 years, 60.2% were male with comorbidities of: hypertension(83%), diabetes(36%), and coronary artery disease(53%). Mean ejection fraction was 59.9±7.8% and median QTc was 453.7±37.6 ms before sotalol. No ventricular arrhythmias developed, but bradycardia(<60 bpm) was observed in 37.6% of patients. The average length of stay was 3.9±4.6(median: 2.2) days. Post-discharge outcomes and rehospitalization rates stratified by length of stay were similar. The cost per day was estimated at $2,931.55 (1:$2,931.55, 2:$5,863.10, 3:$8,794.65, 4:$11,726.20). Conclusions: Inpatient sotalol dosing is markedly variable and results in the potential of both cost gain and loss to a hospital. In consideration of estimated costs, there is the potential for $871.55 cost savings compared to a 2-day oral load and $3,803.10 compared to a 3-day oral load.


Author(s):  
V.V. Verna

The article provides a rationale for methodological approaches to assessing the effectiveness of outsourcing in organizations of the construction industry using the example of outsourcing schemes to perform personnel functions. The conditional example shows the impact of the use of outsourcing on reducing the costs of a construction organization. The main prerequisites for the use of outsourcing in the activities of enterprises in the construction industry are identified, methodological approaches to assessing the cost-effectiveness of personnel outsourcing in the construction industry enterprises are substantiated.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Obinna Ikechukwu Ekwunife ◽  
Chinelo Janefrances Ofomata ◽  
Charles Ebuka Okafor ◽  
Maureen Ugonwa Anetoh ◽  
Stephen Okorafor Kalu ◽  
...  

Abstract Background In sub-Saharan Africa, there is increasing mortality and morbidity of adolescents due to poor linkage, retention in HIV care and adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART). This is a result of limited adolescent-centred service delivery interventions. This cost-effectiveness and feasibility study were piggybacked on a cluster-randomized trial that assessed the impact of an adolescent-centred service delivery intervention. The service delivery intervention examined the impact of an incentive scheme consisting of conditional economic incentives and motivational interviewing on the health outcomes of adolescents living with HIV in Nigeria. Method A cost-effectiveness analysis from the healthcare provider’s perspective was performed to assess the cost per additional patient achieving undetected viral load through the proposed intervention. The cost-effectiveness of the incentive scheme over routine care was estimated using the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER), expressed as cost/patient who achieved an undetectable viral load. We performed a univariate sensitivity analysis to examine the effect of key parameters on the ICER. An in-depth interview was conducted on the healthcare personnel in the intervention arm to explore the feasibility of implementing the service delivery intervention in HIV treatment hospitals in Nigeria. Result The ICER of the Incentive Scheme intervention compared to routine care was US$1419 per additional patient with undetectable viral load. Going by the cost-effectiveness threshold of US$1137 per quality-adjusted life-years suggested by Woods et al., 2016, the intervention was not cost-effective. The sensitivity test showed that the intervention will be cost-effective if the frequency of CD4 count and viral load tests are reduced from quarterly to triannually. Healthcare professionals reported that patients’ acceptance of the intervention was very high. Conclusion The conditional economic incentives and motivational interviewing was not cost-effective, but can become cost-effective if the frequency of HIV quality of life indicator tests are performed 1–3 times per annum. Patients’ acceptance of the intervention was very high. However, healthcare professionals believed that sustaining the intervention may be difficult unless factors such as government commitment and healthcare provider diligence are duly addressed. Trial registration This trial is registered in the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry through the WHO International Registry Network (PACTR201806003040425).


2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 9
Author(s):  
Esther Oceja ◽  
Paula Rodríguez ◽  
María Jurado ◽  
Maria Luz Alonso ◽  
Genoveva del Río ◽  
...  

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in children is a prevalent, albeit largely undiagnosed disease associated with a large spectrum of morbidities. Overnight in-lab polysomnography remains the gold standard diagnostic approach, but is time-consuming, inconvenient, and expensive, and not readily available in many places. Simplified Home Respiratory Polygraphy (HRP) approaches have been proposed to reduce costs and facilitate the diagnostic process. However, evidence supporting the validity of HRP is still scarce, hampering its implementation in routine clinical use. The objectives were: Primary; to establish the diagnostic and therapeutic decision validity of a simplified HRP approach compared to PSG among children at risk of OSA. Secondary: (a) Analyze the cost-effectiveness of the HRP versus in-lab PSG in evaluation and treatment of pediatric OSA; (b) Evaluate the impact of therapeutic interventions based on HRP versus PSG findings six months after treatment using sleep and health parameters and quality of life instruments; (c) Discovery and validity of the urine biomarkers to establish the diagnosis of OSA and changes after treatment.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarina R. Isenberg ◽  
Christopher Meaney ◽  
Peter May ◽  
Peter Tanuseputro ◽  
Kieran Quinn ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Inpatient palliative care is associated with lower inpatient costs; however, this has yet to be studied using a more nuanced, multi-tiered measure of inpatient palliative care and a national population-representative dataset. Using a population-based cohort of Canadians who died in hospital, our objectives were to: describe patients’ receipt of palliative care and active interventions in their terminal hospitalization; and examine the relationship between inpatient palliative care and hospitalization costs. Methods Retrospective cohort study using data from the Discharge Abstract Database in Canada between fiscal years 2012 and 2015. The cohort were Canadian adults (age ≥ 18 years) who died in hospital between April 1st, 2012 and March 31st, 2015 (N = 250,640). The exposure was level of palliative care involvement defined as: medium-high, low, or no palliative care. The main measure was acute care costs calculated using resource intensity weights multiplied by the cost of standard hospital stay, represented in 2014 Canadian dollars (CAD). Descriptive statistics were represented as median (IQR), and n(%). We modelled cost as a function of palliative care using a gamma generalized estimating equation (GEE) model, accounting for clustering by hospital. Results There were 250,640 adults who died in hospital. Mean age was 76 (SD 14), 47% were female. The most common comorbidities were: metastatic cancer (21%), heart failure (21%), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (16%). Of the decedents, 95,450 (38%) had no palliative care involvement, 98,849 (38%) received low involvement, and 60,341 (24%) received medium to high involvement. Controlling for age, sex, province and predicted hospital mortality risk at admission, the cost per day of a terminal hospitalization was: $1359 (95% CI 1323: 1397) (no involvement), $1175 (95% CI 1146: 1206) (low involvement), and $744 (95% CI 728: 760) (medium-high involvement). Conclusions Increased involvement of palliative care was associated with lower costs. Future research should explore whether this relationship holds for non-terminal hospitalizations, and whether palliative care in other settings impacts inpatient costs.


2019 ◽  
Vol 70 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tinevimbo Shiri ◽  
Angela Loyse ◽  
Lawrence Mwenge ◽  
Tao Chen ◽  
Shabir Lakhi ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Mortality from cryptococcal meningitis remains very high in Africa. In the Advancing Cryptococcal Meningitis Treatment for Africa (ACTA) trial, 2 weeks of fluconazole (FLU) plus flucytosine (5FC) was as effective and less costly than 2 weeks of amphotericin-based regimens. However, many African settings treat with FLU monotherapy, and the cost-effectiveness of adding 5FC to FLU is uncertain. Methods The effectiveness and costs of FLU+5FC were taken from ACTA, which included a costing analysis at the Zambian site. The effectiveness of FLU was derived from cohorts of consecutively enrolled patients, managed in respects other than drug therapy, as were participants in ACTA. FLU costs were derived from costs of FLU+5FC in ACTA, by subtracting 5FC drug and monitoring costs. The cost-effectiveness of FLU+5FC vs FLU alone was measured as the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER). A probabilistic sensitivity analysis assessed uncertainties and a bivariate deterministic sensitivity analysis examined the impact of varying mortality and 5FC drug costs on the ICER. Results The mean costs per patient were US $847 (95% confidence interval [CI] $776–927) for FLU+5FC, and US $628 (95% CI $557–709) for FLU. The 10-week mortality rate was 35.1% (95% CI 28.9–41.7%) with FLU+5FC and 53.8% (95% CI 43.1–64.1%) with FLU. At the current 5FC price of US $1.30 per 500 mg tablet, the ICER of 5FC+FLU versus FLU alone was US $65 (95% CI $28–208) per life-year saved. Reducing the 5FC cost to between US $0.80 and US $0.40 per 500 mg resulted in an ICER between US $44 and US $28 per life-year saved. Conclusions The addition of 5FC to FLU is cost-effective for cryptococcal meningitis treatment in Africa and, if made available widely, could substantially reduce mortality rates among human immunodeficiency virus–infected persons in Africa.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 3054
Author(s):  
Renata Tubelo ◽  
Lucelia Rodrigues ◽  
Mark Gillott ◽  
May Zune

In Brazil, the delivery of homes for low-inc ome households is dictated by costs rather than performance. Issues such as the impact of climate change, affordability of operational energy use, and lack of energy security are not taken into account, even though they can severely impact the occupants. In this work, the authors evaluated the thermal performance of two affordable houses as-built and after the integration of envelope improvements. A new replicable method to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of these improvements was proposed. The case study houses comprise the most common affordable housing type delivered widely across Brazil and a proposition of a better affordable housing solution, built in Porto Alegre, southern Brazil, integrating passive design strategies to increase thermal comfort. The findings reveal a potential for improving indoor thermal conditions by up to 76% and 73%, respectively, if costs are not a concern, and 40% and 45% with a cost increase of 12% and 9% if a comfort criterion of 20–25 °C was considered. Equations to estimate costs of improvements in affordable housing were developed. The authors concluded that there is a great scope for building envelope optimisation, and that this is still possible without significant impact on budget.


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