Blood transfusion costs by diagnosis-related groups in 60 university hospitals in 1995

Development and Validation of a Hospital Indicator of Activity-Based Costs for Injury Admissions

OBJECTIVES

To develop a hospital indicator of resource use for injury admissions.

METHODS

We focused on resource use for acute injury care and therefore adopted a hospital perspective. We included patients ≥16 years old with an Injury Severity Score >9 admitted to any of the 57 trauma centers of an inclusive Canadian trauma system from 2014 to 2018. We extracted data from the trauma registry and hospital financial reports and estimated resource use with activity-based costing. We developed risk-adjustment models by trauma center designation level (I/II and III/IV) for the whole sample, traumatic brain injuries, thoraco-abdominal injuries, orthopedic injuries, and patients ≥65 years old. Candidate variables were selected using bootstrap resampling. We performed benchmarking by comparing the adjusted mean cost in each center, obtained using shrinkage estimates, to the provincial mean.

RESULTS

We included 38 713 patients. The models explained between 12% and 36% (optimism-corrected r²) of the variation in resource use. In the whole sample and in all subgroups, we identified centers with higher- or lower-than-expected resource use across level I/II and III/IV centers.

CONCLUSIONS

We propose an algorithm to produce the indicator using data routinely collected in trauma registries to prompt targeted exploration of potential areas for improvement in resource use for injury admissions. The r² of our models suggest that between 64% and 88% of the variation in resource use for injury care is dictated by factors other than patient baseline risk.

Patient-level resource use for injury admissions in Canada: A multicentre retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Variations in adjusted costs have been observed among trauma centres in the United States but patient outcomes were not better in centres with higher costs. Attempts to improve injury care efficiency are hampered by insufficient patient-level information on resource use and on the drivers of resource use intensity.

OBJECTIVES

To estimate patient-level resource use for injury admissions, identify determinants of resource use intensity, and evaluate inter-hospital variations in resource use.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective cohort study including ≥16-year-olds admitted to adult trauma centres in a mature, inclusive Canadian trauma system between 2014 and 2016. We extracted data from the trauma registry and hospital financial reports. We estimated resource use with activity-based costs, identified determinants of resource use intensity using a multilevel linear model and assessed the relative importance of each determinant with Cohen's f². We evaluated inter-provider variations with intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and 95% confidence intervals.

RESULTS

We included 32,411 patients. Median costs per admission were $4857 (Quartiles 1 and 3 2961-8448). The most important contributors to total resource use were the medical ward (57%), followed by the operating room (OR; 23%) and the intensive care unit (13%). The strongest determinant of resource use intensity was discharge destination (Cohen's f² = 7%). The most resource intense patient group was spinal cord injuries with $11,193 (7115-17,606) per admission. While resource use increased with increasing age for the medical ward, it decreased with increasing age for the OR. Resource use was 18% higher in level I centres compared to level IV centres and we observed significant variations in resource use across centres (ICC = 5% [4-6]), particularly for the OR (28% [20-40]).

CONCLUSIONS

Resource use for acute injury care in Quebec is not solely due to the clinical status of patients. We identified determinants of resource use that can be used to establish evidence-based resource allocations and improve injury care efficiency. The method we developed for estimating patient-level, in-hospital resource use for injury admissions and identifying related determinants could be reproduced using local trauma registry data and our unit costs or unit costs specific to each setting.

Reducing unnecessary preoperative blood orders and costs by implementing an updated institution-specific maximum surgical blood order schedule and a remote electronic blood release system

BACKGROUND

Using blood utilization data acquired from the anesthesia information management system, an updated institution-specific maximum surgical blood order schedule was introduced. The authors evaluated whether the maximum surgical blood order schedule, along with a remote electronic blood release system, reduced unnecessary preoperative blood orders and costs.

METHODS

At a large academic medical center, data for preoperative blood orders were analyzed for 63,916 surgical patients over a 34-month period. The new maximum surgical blood order schedule and the electronic blood release system (Hemosafe; Haemonetics Corp., Braintree, MA) were introduced mid-way through this time period. The authors assessed whether these interventions led to reductions in unnecessary preoperative orders and associated costs.

RESULTS

Among patients having surgical procedures deemed not to require a type and screen or crossmatch (n = 33,216), the percent of procedures with preoperative blood orders decreased by 38% (from 40.4% [7,167 of 17,740 patients] to 25.0% [3,869 of 15,476 patients], P < 0.001). Among all hospitalized inpatients, the crossmatch-to-transfusion ratio decreased by 27% (from 2.11 to 1.54; P < 0.001) over the same time period. The proportion of patients who required emergency release uncrossmatched blood increased from 2.2 to 3.1 per 1,000 patients (P = 0.03); however, most of these patients were having emergency surgery. Based on the realized reductions in blood orders, annual costs were reduced by $137,223 ($6.08 per patient) for surgical patients, and by $298,966 ($6.20/patient) for all hospitalized patients.

CONCLUSION

Implementing institution-specific, updated maximum surgical blood order schedule-directed preoperative blood ordering guidelines along with an electronic blood release system results in a substantial reduction in unnecessary orders and costs, with a clinically insignificant increase in requirement for emergency release blood transfusions.

Cost-utility analysis of genotype-guided antiplatelet therapy in patients with moderate-to-high risk acute coronary syndrome and planned percutaneous coronary intervention

BACKGROUND

Prasugrel is recommended over clopidogrel in poor/intermediate CYP2C19 metabolizers with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and planned percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), reducing the risk of ischemic events. CYP2C19 genetic testing can guide antiplatelet therapy in ACS patients.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the cost-utility of genotype-guided treatment, compared with prasugrel or generic clopidogrel treatment without genotyping, from the US healthcare provider's perspective.

METHODS

A decision model was developed to project lifetime economic and humanistic burden associated with clinical outcomes (myocardial infarction [MI], stroke and major bleeding) for the three strategies in patients with ACS. Probabilities, costs and age-adjusted quality of life were identified through systematic literature review. Incremental cost-utility ratios (ICURs) were calculated for the treatment strategies, with quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) as the primary effectiveness outcome. Relative risk of developing myocardial infarction and stroke between patients with and without variant CYP2C19 when receiving clopidogrel were estimated to be 1.34 and 3.66, respectively. One-way and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed.

RESULTS

Clopidogrel cost USD19,147 and provided 10.03 QALYs versus prasugrel (USD21,425, 10.04 QALYs) and genotype-guided therapy (USD19,231, 10.05 QALYs). The ICUR of genotype-guided therapy compared with clopidogrel was USD4,200. Genotype-guided therapy provided more QALYs at lower costs compared with prasugrel. Results were sensitive to the cost of clopidogrel and relative risk of myocardial infarction and stroke between CYP2C19 variant vs. non-variant. Net monetary benefit curves showed that genotype-guided therapy had at least 70% likelihood of being the most cost-effective alternative at a willingness-to-pay of USD100,000/QALY. In comparison with clopidogrel, prasugrel therapy was more cost-effective with <21% certainty at willingness-to-pay of >USD170,000/QALY.

CONCLUSIONS

Our modeling analyses suggest that genotype-guided therapy is a cost-effective strategy in patients with acute coronary syndrome undergoing planned percutaneous coronary intervention.

DRGs in Transfusion Medicine and Hemotherapy in Germany

Patients requiring transfusion medicine and hemotherapy in an inpatient setting are incorporated into the German Diagnosis Related Groups (G-DRG) system in multiple ways. Different DRGs exist in Major Diagnostic Category 16 for patients that have been admitted for the treatment of a condition from the field of transfusion medicine. However, the reimbursement might be not cost covering for many cases, and efforts have to be intensified to find adequate definitions and prices. We believe that this can only be successful if health service research is intensified in this field. For patients requiring hemotherapy and transfusion medicine concomitant to the treatment of an underlying disease such as cancer, multiple systems exist to increase remuneration, among them the Patient Clinical Complexity Level (PCCL) and complex constellations to induce DRG splits. For direct reimbursement of high cost products, additional remuneration fees (Zusatzentgelte, ZE) are the most important. In addition, expensive innovations not reflected within the DRGs can be reimbursed after application and negotiation of the New Diagnostic and Treatment Methods (Neue Untersuchungs-und Behandlungsmethoden, NUB) system. The NUB system guarantees that medical progress is put rapidly into clinical practice and prevents financial issues from becoming a stumbling block for the use of innovative drugs and methods.

Red alert - a new perspective on patterns of blood use in the South Australian public sector

OBJECTIVES

In 2006 South Australia had a red cell issue rate, measured as product issues per 1000 population, 22.4% higher than the national average. A pilot study was undertaken to investigate the disparity in issue rates between SA and the national average with a secondary aim of establishing information on SA red cell use.

METHODS

A linked electronic database was developed using clinical, epidemiological and red cell transfusion data within hospitals in the SA public sector. Aggregated red cell use across the SA public health sector was analysed by clinical variables such as Diagnosis Related Group (DRG), including specialty related groups (SRGs) and major diagnostic categories (MDCs). The DRGs that were associated with blood use were identified and applied to national hospital separations data in order to derive comparative blood utilisation rates for SA and Australia.

RESULTS

Although blood issue and usage by population measure showed a significant difference of 22.4 and 22.0% respectively between SA and Australia, when measured against weighted separations the differences reduced to 7.4 and 7.1% respectively.

CONCLUSION

This study showed the importance of analysing blood issues and utilisation on an activity adjusted basis rather than a raw per capita basis.

Concentration of transfusion resources on a few pathologies and a few patients: analysis of the comprehensive in-hospital patient database

BACKGROUND

Blood is a sparse commodity. Transfusion needs increase while the number of donors decreases. These constraints incite Belgian authorities to pay more attention to transfusion financing. This implies pathologic knowledge of the epidemiology of in-hospital transfusion and the consumption of blood products.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

This study is a retrospective analysis of in-hospital stays from the year 2000 and includes data from all 124 Belgian hospitals. The database contains information on diagnoses, procedures, and all-patients refined diagnosis-related groups (APRDRGs) but also on expenses linked to blood products transfused and to transfusion-related pharmaceutical products.

RESULTS

Three percent of surgical patients used 55.7 percent of transfusion resources and 75.4 percent of transfusion costs were associated with 24 APRDRGs. In the medical group, 3 percent of the patients accounted for 80.2 percent of transfusion costs and 20 APRDRGs consumed 71.9 percent of transfusion resources. The variables with the highest impact on the proportion of patients transfused were severity, pathology, and age. The effect of hospitals remained significant but had less impact. No substitution of blood products by transfusion-related pharmaceutical products was observed in our analysis.

CONCLUSION

Our study confirms that transfusion now centers on a limited number of pathologic entities and, within those, in small subsets of patients. This implies that the costs linked to setting up and running the transfusion system can no longer be shared by a large number of patients who receive transfusions but rely increasingly on patients at higher risks of more unpredictable needs. The system must nevertheless be able to cope with them at any time.

The cost of blood: multidisciplinary consensus conference for a standard methodology

Prior attempts to account for the cost of blood have varied in economic perspective, methodology, and scope and may have underestimated both direct and indirect costs associated with transfusions. To devise a comprehensive and standardized methodology for the United States that will improve upon existing estimates, a panel of experts in blood banking and transfusion medicine was assembled and participated in consensus deliberations using modified Delphi methods. As a first step, a process-flow model that describes all the major steps involved in collecting, processing, and transfusing blood such as donor recruitment and follow-up of transfusion sequelae was constructed. Next, interdependencies were outlined and detailed cost elements within each step were itemized. The relative importance of each element was rated. Personnel, screening for infectious agents, information systems, laboratory evaluations, management of transfusion reactions, and equipment were ranked as the most important factors to capture but, in an effort to be all-inclusive, even minor elements were included. This consensus model is broad-based and should serve societal, provider, and payer perspectives for future cost studies. Recognizing the limitations of process-flow models, the next iteration will use an activity-based approach to more fully account for the cost of blood than present estimates.

A new formula for blood transfusion volume in the critically ill

BACKGROUND

Published formulae, frequently used to predict the volume of transfused red cells required to achieve a desired rise in haemoglobin (Hb) or haematocrit (Hct), do not appear to have been validated in clinical practice.

AIMS

To examine the relation between transfusion volume and the resulting rise in Hb and Hct in critically ill children.

METHODS

Phase 1: Sample of 50% of children admitted during 1997; 237 of these 495 patients received at least one packed red cell transfusion; 82 children were transfused without confounding factors that could influence the Hb/Hct response to transfusion and were analysed further. Actual rise in Hb concentration or haematocrit was compared to that expected from use of existing formulae. A new formula was developed. Phase 2: In 50 children receiving a packed red cell transfusion during 2001, actual rise in Hb concentration was compared to expected rise in Hb with use of the new formula.

RESULTS

Phase 1: Existing formulae performed poorly; median ratio of actual/predicted rise in Hb or Hct ranged from 0.61 to 0.85. Using the regression coefficients new formulae were developed for both Hb and Hct. These formulae were applicable across all age and diagnostic groups. Phase 2: Median ratio of actual/predicted rise in Hb improved to 0.95 with use of the new formula.

CONCLUSIONS

Existing formulae underestimate the volume of packed red cells required to achieve a target Hb or Hct. Adoption of the new formulae could reduce the number of transfusion episodes in PICU, cutting costs and reducing risk.

Economic analysis of the implementation of autologous transfusion technologies throughout England

Objectives:This study aims to provide the first estimates of the costs and effects of the large scale introduction of autologous transfusion technologies into the United Kingdom National Health Service.

Methods:A model was constructed to allow disparate data sources to be combined to produce estimates of the scale, costs, and effects of introducing four interventions. The interventions considered were preparing patients for surgery (PPS) clinics, preoperative autologous donation (PAD), intraoperative cell salvage (ICS), and postoperative cell salvage (PoCS).

Results:The key determinants of cost per operation are the anticipated level of reductions in blood use, the mean level of blood use, mean length of stay, and the cost of the technology. The results show the potential for considerable reductions in blood use. The greatest reductions are anticipated to be through the use of PPS and ICS. Vascular surgery, transplant surgery, and cardiothoracic surgery appear to be the specialties that will benefit most from the technologies.

Conclusions:Several simplifications were used in the production of these estimates; consequently, caution should be used in their interpretation and use. Despite the drawbacks in the methods used in the study, the model shows the scale of the issue, the importance of gathering better data, and the form that data must take. Such preliminary modeling exercises are essential for rational policy development and to direct future research and discussion among stakeholders.

Blood collection and transfusion in the United States in 1999

BACKGROUND

Collection, processing, and transfusion of blood and blood components in the US in 1999 were measured and compared with prior years.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

Questionnaires were completed by 2040 blood centers and hospitals. Statistical procedures were used to verify the representativeness of the sample and to estimate national totals.

RESULTS

The total US blood supply in 1999 was 13,876,000 units (before testing), 10.1 percent greater than in 1997. It included 13,109,000 allogeneic units, 651,000 autologous units, and 116,000 red cell (RBC) units collected by apheresis. Transfusion of whole blood and RBCs increased by 7.6 percent to 12,389,000 units. Platelet (PLT) transfusions totaled 9,052,000 PLT concentrate equivalent units, of which 66.5 percent were PLTs from apheresis. In comparison with 1997, the total number of PLT units transfused was unchanged, whereas single-donor PLT units transfused increased by 6.7 percent and the transfusion of PLTs from whole blood (PLT concentrates) declined by 10.6 percent (a difference of approximately 400,000 units in each case).

CONCLUSIONS

The margin between transfusion demand and the total allogeneic supply in 1999 was 1,203,000 units, 9.1 percent of the supply. By comparison, the margin in 1997 was 7.2 percent, whereas in 1989 it was 13.8 percent. Similarly, the rate of blood collection in 1999 per 1000 population was 11.9 percent higher than the 1997 rate. During the same period, however, the rate of transfusion per 1000 population increased by 5.8 percent. Risk in the future lies primarily in the increasing demand for RBCs and further shrinkage of the supply-and-demand margin.

Evaluation of the future supply and demand for blood products in the United Kingdom National Health Service

In addition to the clinical management of blood supplies, the UK National Blood Service (NBS) examines short-term supply and demand to predict any potential shortages in blood supplies. However, very little data are available on the medium- and long-term trends. This paper describes blood product use in a United Kingdom Hospital Trust in 1999 and combines it with donor information to project the effect of demographic changes on demand and supply over the next 25 years. Overall, 2801 (4%) inpatients received transfusions of blood products. The proportion of inpatients receiving blood products increased with age. Patients aged >70 years used 46% of the total blood product supply, whereas patients aged <30 years used 10%. The estimated total cost associated with blood product use was pound 2 million during 1999 (2001-2002 prices). The results show that within 20 years, demand for blood products is expected to increase by 20% relative to the supply. The estimates in this study are a valuable aid to better long-term planning of supplies. As there is a paucity of data concerning blood product use in UK hospitals and blood use varies greatly between hospitals, further studies are required to guide blood product use policy.

A study of blood usage by diagnoses in a Korean university hospital

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

There is paucity of comprehensive data on the blood usage with regard to diagnostic categories of Asian recipients. The purpose of this study is to analyse data for blood usage in a korean university hospital in order to obtain additional information on transfusion practices in relation to diagnoses.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Data of information on patients discharged during the period from March 1996 to February 2002, who have received packed red blood cells (RBC), fresh frozen plasmas (FFP), and platelet components (PLT) were extracted from the computerized registers. We used only the principal four-digit diagnostic categories of the Tenth Revision of International Classification of Diseases.

RESULTS

A total of 397 489 units of blood components (RBC 171 916 units; FFP 69 301 units; and PLT 156 272 units) were transfused for 17.2% of all discharged patients. Acute myeloid leukaemia, liver cell carcinoma, advanced gastric cancer, alcoholic or other unspecified cirrhosis of liver were the top 5 diagnoses related with the highest usage of blood component.

CONCLUSIONS

The results showed a different blood usage pattern compared to those of previous studies. These provide a baseline transfusion practice at our institution, and the data would help in predicting future blood needs in a variety of diagnostic categories.

The cost of allogeneic red blood cells - a systematic review

Several reports suggest that the cost of RBCs may have risen over time, but there exists very little published evidence of that. The objective was to determine whether published studies documenting cost data on RBCs suggest an increase over time and to assess the quality of cost studies. We used the terms 'cost', 'allogeneic/allogenic' and 'blood' to identify cost studies between 1966 and 2002 from Medline, ISIesource and Ingenta electronic databases. Furthermore, we manually searched a number of transfusion and health economics journals for completeness. We included studies that used an established methodology and conducted an economic evaluation using primary/secondary cost data to calculate the cost of RBCs and RBC transfusion. Studies without allogeneic RBCs as comparator were excluded. Two individuals independently reviewed the studies and included studies upon reaching a consensus. Fourteen studies qualified the selection criteria and were included in the review. Ten studies were identified from Medline, two from Ingenta, one from ISIesource and one was a conference paper. Of the 14 studies reviewed, 10 had focused on RBC transfusion and four had focused on both RBCs and RBC transfusion. Ten studies were from the US, and two each from Canada and the UK, respectively. Two studies had explicit objective of cost calculation, and others had calculated costs towards fulfilling other objectives. Most of the reviewed studies were dated and of poor quality. Despite these limitations, it appears that the cost of RBCs has increased over time in the UK, Canada and the US. More studies are needed to fully assess the trend of costs over time. Future cost studies should try to follow the economic evaluation guidelines for greater research implications.

Use of erythropoietin in two-stage reimplantation total hip arthroplasty

This study was done to quantify the effect of epoetin alfa on the transfusion requirements of patients having two-stage reimplantation for infected total hip arthroplasties. This prospective study included 30 consecutive patients treated with a two-stage reimplantation procedure during a 2-year period at one institution. Each patient received a standard dose of epoetin alpha (40,000 units) subcutaneous in the interval between resection and reimplantation. Transfusions were administered only when warranted by clinical symptoms and were not governed by predetermined hemoglobin levels. When compared with a control group of similar patients, the hemoglobin levels before reimplantation were significantly higher (14.0 g/dL versus 11.8 g/dL) and the median allogeneic blood requirements were significantly lower (0 units/patient [range, 0-6] versus 4.3 units per patient [range, 0-9]). Epoetin alfa used in the interval between the resection and reimplantation stage significantly increased the hemoglobin levels and decreased the rate of transfusion for patients having two-stage reimplantation total hip arthroplasty.

Cost of chemotherapy-induced thrombocytopenia among patients with lymphoma or solid tumors

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this study was to estimate the mean incremental cost of chemotherapy-induced thrombocytopenia and the drivers of cost. Another goal was to estimate the impact of depth and duration of thrombocytopenia on the cost of thrombocytopenia.

METHODS

A retrospective cohort, consisting of a random sample of 75 solid tumor or lymphoma patients who developed chemotherapy-induced thrombocytopenia (</= 50,000 platelets per microl), was chosen. The number of each type of resource used during 217 cycles with and 300 cycles without thrombocytopenia were multiplied by the cost of each resource and summed to yield the total cost of care (in 1999 dollars from the provider's perspective).

RESULTS

Compared with cycles without thrombocytopenia, the mean incremental cost of thrombocytopenia was $1037 per cycle. However, 60% of cycles were usual cost, with a mean cost of thrombocytopenia of $43 per cycle less than control cycles. Twelve percent of cycles were high cost (mean incremental cost = $612 per cycle); 28% were very high cost (mean incremental cost = $3519). The excess cost during high-cost cycles was due to high consumption of prophylactic platelet transfusions and during very high-cost cycles to both higher platelet transfusion consumption and to a high incidence of major bleeding episodes.

CONCLUSIONS

Although thrombocytopenia is a common complication of chemotherapy, only 40% of cycles with thrombocytopenia would be considered high or very high cost. Interventions targeted at this subset of cycles could significantly reduce the cost of thrombocytopenia provided they are initiated early enough in the chemotherapy experience to be effective.

The role of fibrin sealants in hemostasis

Hemostasis is a prerequisite for wound healing, and under normal physiologic conditions, it is achieved by means of the coagulation cascade. However, there are a number of surgical procedures where there may be considerable benefits to the patient, surgeon, or health-care costs if hemostasis can be achieved more efficiently. The rapid and effective control of bleeding during and after surgery reduces blood loss and can help reduce postoperative complications. These improved outcomes can reduce the need for transfusion, with the associated risk of viral transmission, and have a positive impact on operative and hospital stay times. Fibrin sealants are surgical hemostatic agents derived from human plasma that reproduce the final steps in the coagulation pathway and form a stable fibrin clot. Fibrin sealants are used in a broad range of surgical procedures to assist hemostasis, including cardiovascular, hepatic, and splenic surgery, gastrointestinal hemorrhage, skin grafting, and dental extractions in anticoagulated patients. Patients with coagulopathies are at high risk of prolonged or excessive bleeding during or after invasive surgery, and these patients may also benefit from the use of fibrin sealants. This article reviews the role of fibrin sealants in hemostasis, citing a number of key clinical studies that report a significant reduction in blood loss or chest drain output after surgery with fibrin sealant compared with controls.