Cost evaluation in the intensive care units of Trinidad applying the cost-blocks method - an international comparison

Costs of Providing Intensive Care for Adult Non-survivors in a Caribbean Teaching Hospital

Introduction  Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is a resource intense area consuming a vast majority of the hospital's budget. This study aimed to determine the costs of providing critical care to non-survivors in an adult ICU at a tertiary care teaching hospital in the Caribbean. Methods  A chart review of non-survivors over a period of nine months was done in an adult ICU. Admission diagnoses, Simplified Acute Physiology Score (SAPS II) score, daily laboratory investigations, drugs, and all therapeutic interventions including mechanical ventilation were recorded. Activity-based costs were prospectively estimated by data obtained from ICU flowsheets, nursing-activity scores, and various hospital departments. Results A total of 316 days of ICU intervention data were collected from the 39 non-survivors enrolled. The median patient age was 56 years. The median ICU length of stay (LOS) and the median duration of mechanical ventilation were five days. The median SAPS II score was 62. One-third of patients had cardiovascular problems and 28% were surgical patients. The total cost of providing ICU care for the non-survivors was US$ 765,233 with an average cost of US$ 19,621 per patient. Human resources (39%) and consumables (29%) were the highest components of costs. Patients who had a cardiac arrest before admission consumed more resources. A higher SAPS II score predicted a shorter LOS (p=0.01) and lower costs (p=0.03). Conclusions  ICU care for non-survivors consume significantly high resources. Stringent admission protocols and consideration of medical futility at an earlier stage, using prognostic models and clinical criteria may prevent unnecessary interventions and costs.

Costs and Utilization of Operating Rooms in a Public Hospital in Trinidad, West Indies

CONTEXT

A top-down evaluation of the costs of operating rooms (ORs) is not commonly done because it is relevant mostly in a publicly funded system.

OBJECTIVE

This study was conducted to determine the costs and utilization of ORs in a public hospital in Trinidad, West Indies, for two one-year periods using a top-down model.

DESIGN

Quantitative observational study.Main Outcome Measures: A "cost-block" model suggested for evaluation of intensive care unit costs was adapted to suit ORs. Data were obtained from personal interviews, records, and surveys from the appropriate hospital departments. Adjusted OR utilization times also were recorded for both years.

RESULTS

The total annual costs of 4 ORs for the years 2006 and 2009 were approximately US $2.2 and $3.2 million, respectively. Capital expenditure contributed to 70% of the costs, followed by consumables (15%) and medical staff salary (8%). The daily cost of running the ORs was US $6242 in 2006, which rose to $8873 in 2009. The cost of unutilized OR time was approximately US $298,342 in 2006 and was reduced to $198,315 during 2009.

CONCLUSION

The adapted cost-block model was useful to evaluate the costs of ORs in a public hospital in Trinidad and can be used from the government's expenditure perspective. Because the cost of running the ORs was high, efficiency must be improved to minimize waste.