What is a hospital bed day worth? A contingent valuation study of hospital Chief Executive Officers

Care Navigation and Coordination Program on Reducing Hospital Use for Adults with Complex Health and Psychosocial Needs in South West Sydney, Australia

Intro

Complex and siloed health and social service systems can be difficult for people to navigate. The fragmented and poorly linked services leads to ineffective communication between care teams, delayed access to services, concerns regarding quality and safety of patient care, as well as patient frustration and disengagement.

Description

Planned Care for Better Health (PCBH) is a community-based care navigation and coordination program for people with complex health and psychosocial needs who are at risk of future hospitalisation. It focuses on early identification and holistic care to remove barriers and improve access to healthcare. By including a persons', family and carers in planning, listening to their needs, supporting the person to achieve their goals, and empowering them to make decisions on their own health, PCBH aims to enhance clients' healthcare experience and reduce preventable hospital utilisation.

Discussion

Building trusting and collaborative relationships with clients, families, carers, and health service providers requires commitment. Acknowledging and addressing psychosocial needs is critical for enhancing health outcomes. Equipping patients with self-management skills and knowledge to navigate and engage support services may generate lasting effects, even post-program enrolment.

Conclusion

PCBH is associated with a notable reduction in unplanned hospitalisations and total bed days. However, reduction in ED presentations is similar between the intervention and comparison cohorts. Future initiatives should focus on a shared vision of integrated care, robust leadership, and participative co-creation with service-level stakeholders. Sustained program establishment, a multidisciplinary care coordinator team, and an early creation of robust evaluation strategy must be considered.

The effect of an improved ICU physical environment on outcomes and post-ICU recovery-a protocol

BACKGROUND

Intensive care medicine continues to improve, with advances in technology and care provision leading to improved patient survival. However, this has not been matched by similar advances in ICU bedspace design. Environmental factors including excessive noise, suboptimal lighting, and lack of natural lights and views can adversely impact staff wellbeing and short- and long-term patient outcomes. The personal, social, and economic costs associated with this are potentially large. The ICU of the Future project was conceived to address these issues. This is a mixed-method project, aiming to improve the ICU bedspace environment and assess impact on patient outcomes. Two innovative and adaptive ICU bedspaces capable of being individualised to patients' personal and changing needs were co-designed and implemented. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of an improved ICU bedspace environment on patient outcomes and operational impact.

METHODS

This is a prospective multi-component, mixed methods study including a randomised controlled trial. Over a 2-year study period, the two upgraded bedspaces will serve as intervention beds, while the remaining 25 bedspaces in the study ICU function as control beds. Study components encompass (1) an objective environmental assessment; (2) a qualitative investigation of the ICU environment and its impact from the perspective of patients, families, and staff; (3) sleep investigations; (4) circadian rhythm investigations; (5) delirium measurements; (6) assessment of medium-term patient outcomes; and (7) a health economic evaluation.

DISCUSSION

Despite growing evidence of the negative impact the ICU environment can have on patient recovery, this is an area of critical care medicine that is understudied and commonly not considered when ICUs are being designed. This study will provide new information on how an improved ICU environment impact holistic patient recovery and outcomes, potentially influencing ICU design worldwide.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ACTRN12623000541606. Registered on May 22, 2023. https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=385845&isReview=true .

Forecasting Hospital Room and Ward Occupancy Using Static and Dynamic Information Concurrently: Retrospective Single-Center Cohort Study

BACKGROUND

Predicting the bed occupancy rate (BOR) is essential for efficient hospital resource management, long-term budget planning, and patient care planning. Although macro-level BOR prediction for the entire hospital is crucial, predicting occupancy at a detailed level, such as specific wards and rooms, is more practical and useful for hospital scheduling.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to develop a web-based support tool that allows hospital administrators to grasp the BOR for each ward and room according to different time periods.

METHODS

We trained time-series models based on long short-term memory (LSTM) using individual bed data aggregated hourly each day to predict the BOR for each ward and room in the hospital. Ward training involved 2 models with 7- and 30-day time windows, and room training involved models with 3- and 7-day time windows for shorter-term planning. To further improve prediction performance, we added 2 models trained by concatenating dynamic data with static data representing room-specific details.

RESULTS

We confirmed the results of a total of 12 models using bidirectional long short-term memory (Bi-LSTM) and LSTM, and the model based on Bi-LSTM showed better performance. The ward-level prediction model had a mean absolute error (MAE) of 0.067, mean square error (MSE) of 0.009, root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.094, and R2 score of 0.544. Among the room-level prediction models, the model that combined static data exhibited superior performance, with a MAE of 0.129, MSE of 0.050, RMSE of 0.227, and R2 score of 0.600. Model results can be displayed on an electronic dashboard for easy access via the web.

CONCLUSIONS

We have proposed predictive BOR models for individual wards and rooms that demonstrate high performance. The results can be visualized through a web-based dashboard, aiding hospital administrators in bed operation planning. This contributes to resource optimization and the reduction of hospital resource use.

The cost of respiratory hospitalizations in children with cerebral palsy

AIM

To establish the burden of respiratory illness in cerebral palsy (CP) on the Western Australian health care system by quantifying the costs of respiratory hospitalizations in children with CP, compared with non-respiratory hospitalizations.

METHOD

A 2-year (2014-2015) retrospective study using linked hospital data (excluding emergency department visits), in a population of children with CP in Western Australia aged 18 years and under (median age at hospitalization 7 years; interquartile range 5-12 years).

RESULTS

In 671 individuals (57% male) there were 726 emergency hospitalizations, and 1631 elective hospitalizations. Although there were more elective hospitalizations, emergency hospitalizations were associated with longer stays in hospital, and more days in an intensive care unit, resulting in a higher total cost of emergency hospitalizations than elective hospitalizations (total costs: emergency AU$7 748 718 vs elective AU$6 738 187). 'Respiratory' was the leading cause of emergency hospitalizations, contributing to 36% of all emergency admission costs. For a group of high-cost inpatient users (top 5% of individuals with the highest total inpatient costs) the most common reason for hospitalization was 'respiratory'. Where non-respiratory admissions were complicated by an additional respiratory diagnosis, length of stay was greater.

INTERPRETATION

Respiratory hospitalizations in CP are a significant driver of health care costs. In the paediatric group, they are a burden for a subgroup of children with CP.

WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS

Respiratory illness is the most costly area for unplanned, emergency hospitalizations for children and young people with cerebral palsy. The top 5% of individuals with the highest total inpatient costs account for a disproportionate amount of health care costs.

Cost-effectiveness of a real-time spatiotemporal mapping surveillance system for meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus prevention

OBJECTIVES

An infection surveillance system based on a hospital's digital twin [4D-Disease Outbreak Surveillance System (4D-DOSS)] is being developed in Singapore. It offers near-real-time infection surveillance and mapping capabilities. This early economic modelling study was conducted, using meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) as the pathogen of interest, to assess the potential cost-effectiveness of 4D-DOSS.

METHODS

A Markov model that simulates the likelihood of MRSA colonization and infection was developed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of adopting 4D-DOSS for MRSA surveillance from the hospital perspective, compared with current practice. The cycle duration was 1 day, and the model horizon was 30 days. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis was conducted, and the probability of cost-effectiveness was reported. Scenario analyses and a value of information analysis were performed.

RESULTS

In the base-case scenario, with 10-year implementation/maintenance costs of 4D-DOSS of $0, there was 68.6% chance that 4D-DOSS would be cost-effective. In a more pessimistic but plausible scenario where the effectiveness of 4D-DOSS in reducing MRSA transmission was one-quarter of the base-case scenario with 10-year implementation/maintenance costs of $1 million, there was 47.7% chance that adoption of 4D-DOSS would be cost-effective. The value of information analysis showed that uncertainty in MRSA costs made the greatest contribution to model uncertainty.

CONCLUSIONS

This early-stage modelling study revealed the circumstances for which 4D-DOSS is likely to be cost-effective at the current willingness-to-pay threshold, and identified the parameters for which further research will be worthwhile to reduce model uncertainty. Inclusion of other drug-resistant organisms will provide a more thorough assessment of the cost-effectiveness of 4D-DOSS.

Economic Evaluation of Novel Models of Care for Patients With Acute Medical Problems

Importance

During COVID-19, Singapore simultaneously experienced a dengue outbreak, and acute hospitals were under pressure to lower bed occupancy rates. This led to new models of care to treat patients with acute, low-severity medical conditions either at home, in a hospital-at-home (HaH) model, or in a clinic-style setting sited at the emergency department in an ambulatory care team (ACT) model, but a reliable cost analysis for these models is lacking.

Objective

To compare personnel costs of HaH and ACT with inpatient care.

Design, Setting, and Participants

In this economic evaluation study, time-driven activity-based costing was used to compare the personnel cost of inpatient care with treating dengue via HaH and treating chest pain via ACT. Participants were patients with nonsevere dengue and chest pain unrelated to a coronary event admitted via the emergency department to the internal medicine service of a tertiary hospital in Singapore.

Exposures

HaH for dengue and ACT for chest pain.

Main Outcomes and Measures

A process map was created for the patient journey for a typical patient with each condition. The amount of time personnel spent on delivering care was estimated and the cost per minute determined based on their wages in 2022. The total cost of care was calculated by multiplying the time spent by the per-minute cost of the personnel resource and summing all costs.

Results

Compared with inpatient care, HaH used 50% less nursing time (418 minutes, 95% uncertainty interval [UI], 370 to 465 minutes) but 80% more medical time (303 minutes, 95% UI, 270 to 338 minutes) per case of dengue. If implemented nationally, HaH would save an estimated 56 828 SGD per year (95% UI, -169 497 to 281 412 SGD [US $41 856; 95% UI, -$124 839 to $207 268]). The probability that HaH is cost saving was 69.2%. Compared with inpatient care, ACT used 15% less nursing time (296 minutes, 95% UI, 257 to 335 minutes) and 50% less medical time (57 minutes, 95% UI, 46 to 69 minutes) per case of chest pain. If implemented nationally, ACT would save an estimated 1 561 185 SGD per year (95% UI, 1 040 666 to 2 086 518 SGD [US $1 149 862; 95% UI, $766 483 to $1 536 786]). The probability that ACT is cost saving was 100%.

Conclusions and Relevance

This economic evaluation found that the HaH and ACT models decreased the overall personnel cost of care. Reorganizing hospital resources may help hospitals reap the benefits of reduced hospital-acquired infections, improved patient recovery, and reduced hospital bed occupancy rates.

Medical capacity investment for epidemic disease: The effects of policymaker's confidence and public trust

Due to the server bed shortage, which has raised ethical dilemmas in the earliest days of the COVID-19 crisis, medical capacity investment has become a vital decision-making issue in the attempt to contain the epidemic. Furthermore, economic strength has failed to explain the significant performance difference across countries in combatting COVID-19. Unlike common diseases, epidemic diseases add substantial unpredictability, complexity, and uncertainty to decision-making. Knowledge miscalibration on epidemiological uncertainties by policymaker's over- and underconfidence can seriously impact policymaking. Ineffective risk communication may lead to conflicting and incoherent information transmission. As a result, public reactions and attitudes could be influenced by policymakers' confidence due to the level of public trust, which eventually affects the degree to which an epidemic spreads. To uncover the impacts of policymakers' confidence and public trust on the medical capacity investment, we establish epidemic diffusion models to characterize how transmission evolves with (and without) vaccination and frame the capacity investment problem as a newsvendor problem. Our results show that if the public fully trusts the public health experts, the policymaker's behavioral bias is always harmful, but its effect on cost increment is marginal. If a policymaker's behavior induces public reactions due to public trust, both the spread of the epidemic and the overall performance will be significantly affected, but such impacts are not always harmful. Decision bias may be beneficial when policymakers are pessimistic or highly overconfident. Having an opportunity to amend initially biased decisions can debias a particular topic but has a limited cost-saving effect.

Evaluating the costs and consequences of computerized clinical decision support systems in hospitals: a scoping review and recommendations for future practice

OBJECTIVE

Sustainable investment in computerized decision support systems (CDSS) requires robust evaluation of their economic impacts compared with current clinical workflows. We reviewed current approaches used to evaluate the costs and consequences of CDSS in hospital settings and presented recommendations to improve the generalizability of future evaluations.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A scoping review of peer-reviewed research articles published since 2010. Searches were completed in the PubMed, Ovid Medline, Embase, and Scopus databases (last searched February 14, 2023). All studies reported the costs and consequences of a CDSS-based intervention compared with current hospital workflows. Findings were summarized using narrative synthesis. Individual studies were further appraised against the Consolidated Health Economic Evaluation and Reporting (CHEERS) 2022 checklist.

RESULTS

Twenty-nine studies published since 2010 were included. Studies evaluated CDSS for adverse event surveillance (5 studies), antimicrobial stewardship (4 studies), blood product management (8 studies), laboratory testing (7 studies), and medication safety (5 studies). All studies evaluated costs from a hospital perspective but varied based on the valuation of resources affected by CDSS implementation, and the measurement of consequences. We recommend future studies follow guidance from the CHEERS checklist; use study designs that adjust for confounders; consider both the costs of CDSS implementation and adherence; evaluate consequences that are directly or indirectly affected by CDSS-initiated behavior change; examine the impacts of uncertainty and differences in outcomes across patient subgroups.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

Improving consistency in the conduct and reporting of evaluations will enable detailed comparisons between promising initiatives, and their subsequent uptake by decision-makers.

Identification of an Optimal COVID-19 Booster Allocation Strategy to Minimize Hospital Bed-Days with a Fixed Healthcare Budget

Healthcare decision-makers face difficult decisions regarding COVID-19 booster selection given limited budgets and the need to maximize healthcare gain. A constrained optimization (CO) model was developed to identify booster allocation strategies that minimize bed-days by varying the proportion of the eligible population receiving different boosters, stratified by age, and given limited healthcare expenditure. Three booster options were included: B₁, costing US $1 per dose, B₂, costing US $2, and no booster (NB), costing US $0. B₁ and B₂ were assumed to be 55%/75% effective against mild/moderate COVID-19, respectively, and 90% effective against severe/critical COVID-19. Healthcare expenditure was limited to US$2.10 per person; the minimum expected expense using B_1, B_2, or NB for all. Brazil was the base-case country. The model demonstrated that B₁ for those aged <70 years and B₂ for those ≥70 years were optimal for minimizing bed-days. Compared with NB, bed-days were reduced by 75%, hospital admissions by 68%, and intensive care unit admissions by 90%. Total costs were reduced by 60% with medical resource use reduced by 81%. This illustrates that the CO model can be used by healthcare decision-makers to implement vaccine booster allocation strategies that provide the best healthcare outcomes in a broad range of contexts.

Assessing the performance of the Cepheid Xpert in identifying and differentiating methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus from blood culture bottles

Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia is associated with a high morbidity and mortality. Time to effective antibiotics is key to reducing mortality. Current practices yield preliminary susceptibilities approximately 16-18 h after blood culture positivity. Molecular diagnostics could reduce the time from blood culture positivity to organism identification as MRSA or MSSA. The objective was to assess the performance of the GeneXpert in identifying MRSA/MSSA from blood culture bottles in the BACT/ALERT VIRTUO system. Eighty-eight blood culture bottles with Gram-positive cocci resembling staphylococci were analysed at Pathology Queensland using the Cepheid Xpert MRSA/SA BC system. The identification and susceptibilities from standard operating procedures were compared with the results from the Xpert MRSA/SA Blood Culture assay and routine laboratory practice. The overall positive percent agreement between the GeneXpert and standard laboratory practice was 94.1% (95% CI 85.6-98.37%) and the negative percent agreement was 100% (95% CI 83.16-100%). The Cepheid Xpert accurately identifies MRSA, MSSA and coagulase-negative staphylococci. The discordant results were from rarely occurring clinical isolates and were expected limitations of the assay. This kit has the potential to reduce the time to effective antibiotics and minimise the use of unnecessary antibiotics and associated costs.

A retrospective study of physiotherapy management for patients with pneumonia requiring invasive ventilation in a single-center Australian ICU

Background:

Pneumonia is a frequent diagnosis for patients admitted to Australian intensive care units (ICUs) for invasive ventilation. Physiotherapists in ICU provide interventions to enhance respiratory function and physical recovery.

Objective:

This retrospective cohort study aimed to describe physiotherapy management of adults with pneumonia who require invasive mechanical ventilation in a single Level 3 ICU in a quaternary teaching hospital.

Methods:

All adults admitted with a medical diagnosis of pneumonia requiring invasive mechanical ventilation over a two-year period were included. Demographic and clinical data, including APACHE II score, ventilator-free days (VFDs) to day 28, ICU length of stay (LOS), and type and frequency of physiotherapy episodes of care delivered in ICU, were collected from electronic medical records. Correlations between VFDs to day 28 and the frequency of physiotherapy interventions delivered per subject were examined using Spearman’s rho analysis.

Results:

From 208 records screened, 66 subjects with an ICU admission diagnosis of pneumonia, who required invasive mechanical ventilation, were included. Median (IQR) ICU LOS was 10 (5–17) days, and mortality rate was 15.2% (n=10). The cohort had a median of 20.5 (IQR 2–25) VFDs to day 28. Community-acquired pneumonia (66.7%, n=44) was the most frequent type of pneumonia diagnosis. There were 1110 episodes of physiotherapy care, with patients receiving a median of 13.5 (IQR 6.8–21.3) episodes during their ICU stay, with a median rate of 1.2 (IQR 1.0–1.6) episodes per day. Over 96.7% of patients with pneumonia received physiotherapy treatment during their ICU stay. Overall, physiotherapy treatments consisting only of respiratory techniques were most commonly provided (55.1%, n=612). Airway suctioning (92.4%, n=61), patient positioning (72.7%, n=48) or positioning advice to nurses (77.3%, n=51), and hyperinflation techniques (63.6%, n=42) were among the respiratory techniques most delivered.

Conclusion:

This study described the current intensive care physiotherapy management in a single center for adults with pneumonia who required invasive mechanical ventilation, demonstrating that respiratory physiotherapy interventions are often provided for this ICU patient cohort. Further research is warranted to determine the efficacy of respiratory physiotherapy interventions to justify their use for ICU patients with pneumonia receiving invasive mechanical ventilation.

Early identification of patients admitted to hospital for covid-19 at risk of clinical deterioration: model development and multisite external validation study

OBJECTIVE

To create and validate a simple and transferable machine learning model from electronic health record data to accurately predict clinical deterioration in patients with covid-19 across institutions, through use of a novel paradigm for model development and code sharing.

DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study.

SETTING

One US hospital during 2015-21 was used for model training and internal validation. External validation was conducted on patients admitted to hospital with covid-19 at 12 other US medical centers during 2020-21.

PARTICIPANTS

33 119 adults (≥18 years) admitted to hospital with respiratory distress or covid-19.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

An ensemble of linear models was trained on the development cohort to predict a composite outcome of clinical deterioration within the first five days of hospital admission, defined as in-hospital mortality or any of three treatments indicating severe illness: mechanical ventilation, heated high flow nasal cannula, or intravenous vasopressors. The model was based on nine clinical and personal characteristic variables selected from 2686 variables available in the electronic health record. Internal and external validation performance was measured using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) and the expected calibration error-the difference between predicted risk and actual risk. Potential bed day savings were estimated by calculating how many bed days hospitals could save per patient if low risk patients identified by the model were discharged early.

RESULTS

9291 covid-19 related hospital admissions at 13 medical centers were used for model validation, of which 1510 (16.3%) were related to the primary outcome. When the model was applied to the internal validation cohort, it achieved an AUROC of 0.80 (95% confidence interval 0.77 to 0.84) and an expected calibration error of 0.01 (95% confidence interval 0.00 to 0.02). Performance was consistent when validated in the 12 external medical centers (AUROC range 0.77-0.84), across subgroups of sex, age, race, and ethnicity (AUROC range 0.78-0.84), and across quarters (AUROC range 0.73-0.83). Using the model to triage low risk patients could potentially save up to 7.8 bed days per patient resulting from early discharge.

CONCLUSION

A model to predict clinical deterioration was developed rapidly in response to the covid-19 pandemic at a single hospital, was applied externally without the sharing of data, and performed well across multiple medical centers, patient subgroups, and time periods, showing its potential as a tool for use in optimizing healthcare resources.

Estimating the economic cost of carbapenem resistant Enterobacterales healthcare associated infections in Singapore acute-care hospitals

Quantifying the costs of hospital associated infections (HAIs) caused by carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) can aid hospital decision makers in infection prevention and control decisions. We estimate the costs of a CRE HAI by infection type and the annual costs of CRE HAIs to acute-care hospitals in Singapore. We used tree diagrams to estimate the costs (in Singapore dollar) of different CRE HAI types from the health service perspective and compared them to the costs of carbapenem-susceptible HAIs. We used two approaches to estimate costs-direct costs of consumables for infection prevention and treatment; and costs associated with lost bed days. Cost of a HAI were extrapolated to annual CRE HAI incidence in Singapore acute-care hospitals to estimate the annual cost to the hospitals. We found that the cost of a CRE HAI based on direct cost and lost bed days are SGD$9,913 (95% CI, SGD$9,431-10,395) and SGD$10,044 (95% CI, SGD$9,789-10,300) respectively. CRE HAIs are markedly higher than the carbapenem-susceptible HAIs for all infection types. In both approaches, CRE pneumonia was the costliest infection. Based on a CRE HAI incidence of 233 per 100,000 inpatient admissions, CRE HAIs costed SGD$12.16M (95% CI, SGD$11.84-12.48M) annually based on direct costs, and SGD$12.33M (95% CI, SGD$12.01-12.64M) annually based on lost bed days. In conclusion, we described the cost of CRE HAIs in Singapore hospitals and identified infections with the highest costs. The findings may be useful in informing future economic evaluations of competing CRE HAI prevention and treatment programmes.

Mortality, Length of Stay, and Healthcare Costs Associated With Multidrug-Resistant Bacterial Infections Among Elderly Hospitalized Patients in the United States

BACKGROUND

This study reports estimates of the healthcare costs, length of stay, and mortality associated with infections due to multidrug-resistant bacteria among elderly individuals in the United States.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective cohort analysis of patients aged ≥65 admitted for inpatient stays in the Department of Veterans Affairs healthcare system between 1/2007-12/2018. We identified those with positive cultures for multidrug-resistant bacteria and matched each infected patient to ≤10 control patients. We then performed multivariable regression models to estimate the attributable cost and mortality due to the infection. We also constructed multistate models to estimate the attributable length of stay due to the infection. Finally, we multiplied these pathogen-specific attributable cost, length of stay, and mortality estimates by national case counts from hospitalized patients in 2017.

RESULTS

Our cohort consisted of 87 509 patients with infections and 835 048 matched controls. Costs were higher for hospital-onset invasive infections, with attributable costs ranging from $22 293 (95% confidence interval: $19 101-$24 485) for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) to $57 390 ($34 070-$80 710) for carbapenem-resistant (CR) Acinetobacter. Similarly, for hospital-onset invasive infections, attributable mortality estimates ranged from 14.2% (12.2-16.2%) for MRSA to 24.1% (12.1-36.0%) for CR Acinetobacter. The aggregate cost of these infections was an estimated $1.9 billion ($1.3 billion-$2.5 billion) with 11 852 (8719-14 985) deaths and 448 224 (354 513-541 934) inpatient days in 2017.

CONCLUSIONS

Efforts to prevent these infections due to multidrug-resistant bacteria could save a significant number of lives and healthcare resources.

Unexpected benefit of COVID-19 hospital restrictions: Reduction in patients isolating with multidrug resistant organisms after restrictions were lifted

Background

During the COVID-19 pandemic, measures to prevent microorganism transmission were implemented across hospitals, including wearing compulsory surgical masks, minimising non-urgent procedures and restricting visitors. Previously, concerns have been raised that MRO-associated deaths could rise during a future pandemic through superimposed bacterial infections, inappropriate antibiotic use and reduced focus on preventing MRO infections.

Methods

In the state of Queensland, Australia with a population of 5 million, only a short first wave of coronavirus cases occurred and restrictions were quickly scaled back. This presented a natural experiment of pre-, during and post-COVID-19 restriction timings to evaluate the effectiveness of heightened prevention measures on multidrug resistant organism (MRO) infections. Patient isolation days and MRO types were collected weekly from routine infection control reports, at a large public hospital, from 28th January 2020 to 24th July 2020. In this interrupted time series design, we employed Poisson mixed effect regression modelling to evaluate the difference in incidence of patient isolation days between time periods.

Results

Compared to pre-COVID, patient isolation days reduced during COVID restrictions (incidence rate ratio 0.65, 95%CI: 0.59, 0.70; p < 0.001) and increased again post-COVID restrictions, but did not return to pre-COVID levels (0.87, 95%CI: 0.80, 0.95; p = 0.001). The efficiency of isolating patients improved after COVID-19 with fewer bed closures required.

Conclusion

Heightened infection control awareness, hand sanitation and mask wearing after COVID-19 restrictions were lifted appear to effectively prevent common hospital-acquired MRO infections.

Bed-days and costs associated with the inpatient burden of healthcare-associated infection in the UK

BACKGROUND

Healthcare-associated infection (HAI) is associated with increased morbidity and mortality resulting in excess costs.

AIM

To investigate the impact of all types of HAI on the inpatient cost of HAI using different approaches.

METHODS

The incidence, types of HAI, and excess length of stay were estimated using data collected as part of the Evaluation of Cost of Nosocomial Infection (ECONI) study. Scottish NHS reference costs were used to estimate unit costs for bed-days. Variable (cash) costs associated with infection prevention and control (IPC) measures and treatment were calculated for each HAI type and overall. The inpatient cost of HAI is presented in terms of bed-days lost, bed-day costs, and cash costs.

FINDINGS

In Scotland 58,010 (95% confidence interval: 41,730-74,840) bed-days were estimated to be lost to HAI during 2018/19, costing £46.4 million (19m-129m). The total annual cost in the UK is estimated to be £774 million (328m-2,192m). Bloodstream infection and pneumonia were the most costly HAI types per case. Cash costs are a small proportion of the total cost of HAI, contributing 2.4% of total costs.

CONCLUSION

Reliable estimates of the cost burden of HAI management are important for assessing the cost-effectiveness of IPC programmes. This unique study presents robust economic data, demonstrating that HAI remains a burden to the UK NHS and bed-days capture the majority of inpatient costs. These findings can be used to inform the economic evaluation and decision analytic modelling of competing IPC programmes at local and national level.

Attributable Length of Stay, Mortality Risk, and Costs of Bacterial Health Care-Associated Infections in Australia: A Retrospective Case-cohort Study

Background

Unbiased estimates of the health and economic impacts of health care–associated infections (HAIs) are scarce and focus largely on patients with bloodstream infections (BSIs). We sought to estimate the hospital length of stay (LOS), mortality rate, and costs of HAIs and the differential effects on patients with an antimicrobial-resistant infection.

Methods

We conducted a multisite, retrospective case-cohort of all acute-care hospital admissions with a positive culture of 1 of the 5 organisms of interest (Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, or Enterococcus faecium) from 1 January 2012 through 30 December 2016. Data linkage was used to generate a data set of statewide hospital admissions and pathology data. Patients with bloodstream, urinary, or respiratory tract infections were included in the analysis and matched to a sample of uninfected patients. We used multistate survival models to generate LOS, and logistic regression to derive mortality estimates.

Results

We matched 20 390 cases to 75 635 uninfected control patients. The overall incidence of infections due to the 5 studied organisms was 116.9 cases per 100 000 patient days, with E. coli urinary tract infections (UTIs) contributing the largest proportion (51 cases per 100 000 patient days). The impact of a UTI on LOS was moderate across the 5 studied pathogens. Resistance significantly increased LOS for patients with third-generation cephalosporin-resistant K. pneumoniae BSIs (extra 4.6 days) and methicillin-resistant S. aureus BSIs (extra 2.9 days). Consequently, the health-care costs of these infections were higher, compared to corresponding drug-sensitive strains.

Conclusions

The health burden remains highest for BSIs; however, UTIs and respiratory tract infections contributed most to the health-care system expenditure.

A systematic scoping review of the cost-impact of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) intervention bundles in intensive care

BACKGROUND

Evidence-based economic decision making is key in health care. Presently, however, studies reporting financial outcomes of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) care bundles have not been systematically evaluated.

METHOD

This scoping review investigated the characteristics and findings of studies of the economic impact of VAP bundle implementation. A systematic search of electronic databases (MEDLINE, CINAHL) for relevant English language studies was undertaken (January 2000-February 2020). Methodological quality was evaluated using a Joanna Briggs Institute quality appraisal checklist. Article screening and quality appraisals were performed by 2 reviewers. Reference lists of included studies were hand-searched for additional articles. Reporting followed PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) standards.

RESULTS

From 181 citations, 10 articles met inclusion criteria. Eight studies evaluated cost impacts on acute care and there were 2 cost-modeling studies. Results consistently indicated that effective VAP bundle implementation decreased healthcare costs. However, studies were heterogeneous with respect to research methods and objectives and were judged to have a moderate-to-high risk of bias.

DISCUSSION

Effective implementation of VAP care bundles was associated with superior clinical and economic outcomes. However, despite finding a moderate volume of research, study heterogeneity inhibited strong conclusions being drawn regarding the degree of associated cost savings.

CONCLUSION

Additional research involving multisite/multijurisdiction studies using experimental designs are needed to progress the field and overcome gaps in the existing literature.

Evaluating the economic effects of genomic sequencing of pathogens to prioritise hospital patients competing for isolation beds

Objective This study compared the costs and patient movements of a new hospital protocol to discontinue contact precautions for patients with non-multiresistant methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (nmMRSA), based on whole-genome sequencing (WGS) of pathogens with current practice. Methods A hybrid simulation model was constructed and analysed over a 12-month time horizon. Six multidrug-resistant organisms and influenza were modelled concurrently where infected patients competed for isolation beds. Model inputs included pathogen incidence, resources for WGS, staff and contact precautions, hospital processes, room allocations and their associated costs. Data were sourced from aggregated records of patient admissions during 2017-18, clinical records and published reports. Results The WGS protocol resulted in 389 patients isolated (44% of current practice), 5223 'isolation bed days' (56%) and 268 closed-bed days (88%). Over 1 year, the mean (±s.d.) total cost for the WGS protocol was A$749243±126667; compared with current practice, the overall cost savings were A$690864±300464. Conclusion Using WGS to inform infection control teams of pathogen transmission averts patients from isolation rooms and reduces significant resources involved in implementing contact precautions. What is known about the topic? There are an estimated 265000 hospital-acquired infections (HAI) in Australia each year. WGS can accurately identify the genetic lineage among HAIs and determine transmission clusters that can help infection control staff manage patients. Economic appraisals are lacking to inform whether pathogen genomics services should be adopted within already-stretched hospital budgets. What does this paper add? An isolation protocol using pathogen genomics to provide additional information on the relatedness of a pathogen between colonised patients showed favourable results for healthcare costs and patient flow. Using WGS, in a confirmatory role, to discontinue certain patients from contact precautions and isolation rooms resulted in cost savings of A$690864 across 1 year for a single major hospital. What are the implications for practitioners? Using pathogen WGS services for infection control potentially curbs hospital spending, averts patient isolations and improves patient flow within hospitals.

Estimating the excess bed days and economic burden of healthcare-associated infections in Singapore public acute-care hospitals

We estimated the annual bed days lost and economic burden of healthcare-associated infections to Singapore hospitals using Monte Carlo simulation. The mean (standard deviation) cost of a single healthcare-associated infection was S$1,809 (S$440) [or US$1,362 (US$331)]. This translated to annual lost bed days and economic burden of 55,978 (20,506) days and S$152.0 million (S$37.1 million) [or US$114.4 million (US$27.9 million)], respectively.

Budget impact analysis of routinely using whole-genomic sequencing of six multidrug-resistant bacterial pathogens in Queensland, Australia

OBJECTIVE

To predict the cost and health effects of routine use of whole-genome sequencing (WGS) of bacterial pathogens compared with those of standard of care.

DESIGN

Budget impact analysis was performed over the following 5 years. Data were primarily from sequencing results on clusters of multidrug-resistant organisms across 27 hospitals. Model inputs were derived from hospitalisation and sequencing data, and epidemiological and costing reports, and included multidrug resistance rates and their trends.

SETTING

Queensland, Australia.

PARTICIPANTS

Hospitalised patients.

INTERVENTIONS

WGS surveillance of six common multidrug-resistant organisms (Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecium, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterobacter sp and Acinetobacter baumannii) compared with standard of care or routine microbiology testing.

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOMES

Expected hospital costs, counts of patient infections and colonisations, and deaths from bloodstream infections.

RESULTS

In 2021, 97 539 patients in Queensland are expected to be infected or colonised with one of six multidrug-resistant organisms with standard of care testing. WGS surveillance strategy and earlier infection control measures could avoid 36 726 infected or colonised patients and avoid 650 deaths. The total cost under standard of care was $A170.8 million in 2021. WGS surveillance costs an additional $A26.8 million but was offset by fewer costs for cleaning, nursing, personal protective equipment, shorter hospital stays and antimicrobials to produce an overall cost savings of $30.9 million in 2021. Sensitivity analyses showed cost savings remained when input values were varied at 95% confidence limits.

CONCLUSIONS

Compared with standard of care, WGS surveillance at a state-wide level could prevent a substantial number of hospital patients infected with multidrug-resistant organisms and related deaths and save healthcare costs. Primary prevention through routine use of WGS is an investment priority for the control of serious hospital-associated infections.

Development and Implementation of a Complex Health System Intervention Targeting Transitions of Care from Hospital to Post-acute Care

BACKGROUND

Failure of effective transitions of care following hospitalization can lead to excess days in the hospital, readmissions, and adverse events. Evidence identifies both patient and system factors that influence poor care transitions, yet health systems struggle to translate evidence into complex interventions that have a meaningful impact on care transitions.

OBJECTIVE

We report on our experience developing, pilot testing, and evaluating a complex intervention (Addressing Complex Transitions program, or ACT program) that aims to improve care transitions for complex patients.

DESIGN

Following the Medical Research Council (MRC) framework, we engaged in iterative, stakeholder-driven work to develop a complex care intervention, assess feasibility and pilot methods, evaluate the intervention in practice, and facilitate ongoing implementation monitoring and dissemination.

PARTICIPANTS

Patients receiving care from UW Medicine's health system including 4 hospitals and 20-site Post-Acute Care network.

INTERVENTION

Literature review and prospective data collection activities informed ACT program design. ACT program components include a tailored risk calculator that provides real-time scoring of transitions of care risk factors, a multidisciplinary team with the capacity to address complex barriers to safe transitions, and enhanced discharge workflows to improve care transitions for complex patients.

KEY MEASURES

Program evaluation metrics included estimated hospital days saved and program acceptance by care team members.

KEY RESULTS

During the 6-month pilot, 565 patients were screened and 97 enrolled in the ACT program. An estimated 664 hospital days were saved for the index admission of ACT program participants. Analysis of pre/post-hospital utilization for ACT program participants showed an estimated 3227 fewer hospital days after ACT program enrollment.

CONCLUSIONS

Health systems need to address increasingly difficult challenges in care delivery. The use of evidence-based frameworks, such as the MRC framework, can guide systems to design complex interventions that respond to their local context and stakeholder needs.

Cost-effectiveness analysis of whole-genome sequencing during an outbreak of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii

Background:

Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) shotgun metagenomics (metagenomics) attempts to sequence the entire genetic content straight from the sample. Diagnostic advantages lie in the ability to detect unsuspected, uncultivatable, or very slow-growing organisms.

Objective:

To evaluate the clinical and economic effects of using WGS and metagenomics for outbreak management in a large metropolitan hospital.

Design:

Cost-effectiveness study.

Setting:

Intensive care unit and burn unit of large metropolitan hospital.

Patients:

Simulated intensive care unit and burn unit patients.

Methods:

We built a complex simulation model to estimate pathogen transmission, associated hospital costs, and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) during a 32-month outbreak of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB). Model parameters were determined using microbiology surveillance data, genome sequencing results, hospital admission databases, and local clinical knowledge. The model was calibrated to the actual pathogen spread within the intensive care unit and burn unit (scenario 1) and compared with early use of WGS (scenario 2) and early use of WGS and metagenomics (scenario 3) to determine their respective cost-effectiveness. Sensitivity analyses were performed to address model uncertainty.

Results:

On average compared with scenario 1, scenario 2 resulted in 14 fewer patients with CRAB, 59 additional QALYs, and $75,099 cost savings. Scenario 3, compared with scenario 1, resulted in 18 fewer patients with CRAB, 74 additional QALYs, and $93,822 in hospital cost savings. The likelihoods that scenario 2 and scenario 3 were cost-effective were 57% and 60%, respectively.

Conclusions:

The use of WGS and metagenomics in infection control processes were predicted to produce favorable economic and clinical outcomes.

Clinical and Economic Outcomes of Genome Sequencing Availability on Containing a Hospital Outbreak of Resistant Escherichia coli in Australia

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the outbreak size and hospital cost effects of bacterial whole-genome sequencing availability in managing a large-scale hospital outbreak.

METHODS

We built a hybrid discrete event/agent-based simulation model to replicate a serious bacterial outbreak of resistant Escherichia coli in a large metropolitan public hospital during 2017. We tested the 3 strategies of using whole-genome sequencing early, late (actual outbreak), or not using it and assessed their associated outbreak size and hospital cost. The model included ward dynamics, pathogen transmission, and associated hospital costs during a 5-month outbreak. Model parameters were determined using data from the Queensland Hospital Admitted Patient Data Collection (N = 4809 patient admissions) and local clinical knowledge. Sensitivity analyses were performed to address model and parameter uncertainty.

RESULTS

An estimated 197 patients were colonized during the outbreak, with 75 patients detected. The total outbreak cost was A$460 137 (US$317 117), with 6.1% spent on sequencing. Without sequencing, the outbreak was estimated to result in 352 colonized patients, costing A$766 921 (US$528 547). With earlier detection from use of routine sequencing, the estimated outbreak size was 3 patients and cost A$65 374 (US$45 054).

CONCLUSIONS

Using whole-genome sequencing in hospital outbreak management was associated with smaller outbreaks and cost savings, with sequencing costs as a small fraction of total hospital costs, supporting the further investigation of the use of routine whole-genome sequencing in hospitals.

Cost-effectiveness of an Environmental Cleaning Bundle for Reducing Healthcare-associated Infections

BACKGROUND

Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) remain a significant patient safety issue, with point prevalence estimates being ~5% in high-income countries. In 2016-2017, the Researching Effective Approaches to Cleaning in Hospitals (REACH) study implemented an environmental cleaning bundle targeting communication, staff training, improved cleaning technique, product use, and audit of frequent touch-point cleaning. This study evaluates the cost-effectiveness of the environmental cleaning bundle for reducing the incidence of HAIs.

METHODS

A stepped-wedge, cluster-randomized trial was conducted in 11 hospitals recruited from 6 Australian states and territories. Bundle effectiveness was measured by the numbers of Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia, Clostridium difficile infection, and vancomycin-resistant enterococci infections prevented in the intervention phase based on estimated reductions in the relative risk of infection. Changes to costs were defined as the cost of implementing the bundle minus cost savings from fewer infections. Health benefits gained from fewer infections were measured in quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs). Cost-effectiveness was evaluated using the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio and net monetary benefit of adopting the cleaning bundle over existing hospital cleaning practices.

RESULTS

Implementing the cleaning bundle cost $349 000 Australian dollars (AUD) and generated AUD$147 500 in cost savings. Infections prevented under the cleaning bundle returned a net monetary benefit of AUD$1.02 million and an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of $4684 per QALY gained. There was an 86% chance that the bundle was cost-effective compared with existing hospital cleaning practices.

CONCLUSIONS

A bundled, evidence-based approach to improving hospital cleaning is a cost-effective intervention for reducing the incidence of HAIs.

A hybrid simulation model approach to examine bacterial genome sequencing during a hospital outbreak

Background

Hospital infection control requires timely detection and identification of organisms, and their antimicrobial susceptibility. We describe a hybrid modeling approach to evaluate whole genome sequencing of pathogens for improving clinical decisions during a 2017 hospital outbreak of OXA-181 carbapenemase-producing Escherichia coli and the associated economic effects.

Methods

Combining agent-based and discrete-event paradigms, we built a hybrid simulation model to assess hospital ward dynamics, pathogen transmission and colonizations. The model was calibrated to exactly replicate the real-life outcomes of the outbreak at the ward-level. Seven scenarios were assessed including genome sequencing (early or late) and no sequencing (usual care). Model inputs included extent of microbiology and sequencing tests, patient-level data on length of stay, hospital ward movement, cost data and local clinical knowledge. The main outcomes were outbreak size and hospital costs. Model validation and sensitivity analyses were performed to address uncertainty around data inputs and calibration.

Results

An estimated 197 patients were colonized during the outbreak with 75 patients detected. The total outbreak cost was US$318,654 with 6.1% of total costs spent on sequencing. Without sequencing, the outbreak was estimated to result in 352 colonized patients costing US$531,109. Microbiology tests were the largest cost component across all scenarios.

Conclusion

A hybrid simulation approach using the advantages of both agent-based and discrete-event modeling successfully replicated a real-life bacterial hospital outbreak as a foundation for evaluating clinical outcomes and efficiency of outbreak management. Whole genome sequencing of a potentially serious pathogen appears effective in containing an outbreak and minimizing hospital costs.

Predisposing Factors and Outcomes After Prolonged Admission Following Hip Fracture

Introduction Hip fractures are increasingly prevalent and can result in substantial morbidity, mortality, and cost. Despite the existence of enhanced management strategies, prolonged hip fracture admissions persist. This study's objective was to ascertain characteristics associated with a prolonged length of stay (LOS) and quantify return to baseline once discharged. Methods A retrospective audit of hip fractures over a four-year period was conducted, identifying patients with a LOS over 100 days. Demographics, comorbidities, pre- and post-admission function, and status were assessed. Patients sustaining inpatient hip fractures were excluded to negate the effect of initial admission on LOS. Results Seven hundred and eleven hip fractures were treated, of which 48 (6.8%) were suitable for inclusion. The patients' median age and LOS was 83.5 years and 153 days, respectively. Preoperative American Society of Anesthesiologists - Physical Status (ASA-PS) Grades II and III predominated at 41.7% and 39.6%, respectively. Eighteen of patients had a diagnosis of dementia before admission, increasing to 29 on discharge (P = 0.0026). One patient was in long-term care prior to admission, rising to 30 on discharge (P < 0.0001), with only 25.6% returning to pre-admission residential status (P < 0.0001). Nineteen patients were mobilising unaided prior to admission, decreasing to only two following discharge, with a mere 37.1% returning to their pre-admission mobility baseline (P < 0.0001). Discussion Hip fracture patients with multiple comorbidities or a diagnosis of dementia were most likely to have a prolonged LOS which, in turn, impacted upon return to baseline mobility, cognitive status, and independence. Early identification and management of this cohort may help reduce the potential disease burden and economic effects that a prolonged LOS creates.

Fits, faints, falls and funny turns: cost and capacity savings in Queensland from the accelerated transient attack pathway initiative (ATAP)

BACKGROUND

falls, seizures, syncope and transient ischaemic attacks (TIA) are common presentations to emergency departments sharing overlapping clinical features and diagnostic uncertainties. These transient attacks can be markers of serious adverse outcomes and are associated with high admission rates. We evaluated the effects of an integrated suite of pathways for transient attacks designed to improve adherence to best practices and reduce costs through fewer admissions.

METHODS

a suite of clinician-designed pathways based on initial presenting diagnosis was developed to support ambulant care in a large hospital in Queensland, Australia. We performed a set of regression analyses to identify the differences in total cost and length of stay (LOS) before and after implementation. We conducted a Monte Carlo simulation to estimate the cost savings of the freed capacity in the patient cohort.

RESULTS

pathway implementation was associated with reduced admitted LOS and costs. Falls patients admitted LOS declined by 32.5%, and admission costs by 19.5%. Syncope, seizure, and TIA patients admitted LOS declined by 22% with no change in admitted costs. Despite a small increase in 90-day representations, total emergency department LOS was unchanged. Emergency department costs were similar between falls and non-falls patients. The Monte Carlo analysis showed that the most likely outcome was a cost savings in freed capacity of $71 per patient episode.

CONCLUSION

the ATAP suite of pathways was associated with reduction in LOS, release of capacity and reduction in costs. Further study is needed to evaluate mechanisms and clinical outcomes in this vulnerable population.

Single versus separate implant fixation for concomitant ipsilateral femoral neck and shaft fractures: A systematic review

Concomitant ipsilateral femoral neck and shaft fractures are uncommon, occurring in 1-9% of femoral shaft fractures. While this injury typically occurs in young patients following high-energy trauma, little consensus has been established regarding the optimal fixation approach. A multitude of treatment strategies exist, with limited evidence as to which is more favorable. The aim of this study was to appraise current evidence, comparing management with either one single or separate devices for both fractures. A systematic review was undertaken in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Studies published between 1992 and 2018 comparing the rate of postoperative nonunion, malunion, delayed union, avascular necrosis, infection or reoperation between at least one method of single device fixation and one method of separate device fixation were included. Six non-randomized cohort studies assessing 173 patients were suitable for inclusion, each comparing single device cephalomedullary nail fixation of both fractures with a combination of devices. All patients presented following high-energy trauma, at a median age of 32 years. While low complication rate and favorable outcomes were found across both groups, no significant difference could be inferred between either treatment strategy. This injury continues to occur in the traditionally described patient group, and results in acceptable postoperative outcomes. A paucity of randomized studies limits the ability to recommend a single or separate device treatment approach, and as such prospective, randomized trials with adequately powered sample sizes are required to definitively compare surgical management strategies in this rare but complex injury.

Chlorhexidine versus saline in reducing the risk of catheter associated urinary tract infection: A cost-effectiveness analysis

BACKGROUND

Catheter associated urinary tract infections are one of the most common infections acquired in hospital. A recent randomised control study demonstrated the benefit of using chlorhexidine (0.1%) for meatal cleaning prior to urinary catheter insertion, by reducing both catheter associated asymptomatic bacteriuria and infection. These findings raise the important question of whether a decision to switch from saline to chlorhexidine was likely to be cost-effective. The aim of this paper was to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of adopting routine use of chlorhexidine for meatal cleaning prior to urinary catheter insertion METHODS: The outcomes of this cost-effectiveness study are changes to health service costs in $AUD and changes to quality adjusted life years from a decision to adopt 0.1% chlorhexidine for meatal cleaning prior to urinary catheter insertion as compared to saline. Effectiveness outcomes for this study were taken from a 32 week stepped wedge randomised controlled study conducted in three Australian hospitals.

RESULTS

The changes in health costs from switching from saline to 0.1% chlorhexidine per 100,000 catheterisations would save hospitals AUD$387,909 per 100,000 catherisations, prevent 70 cases of catheter associated urinary tract infections, release 282 bed days and provide a small improvement in health benefits of 1.43 quality adjusted life years. Using a maximum willingness to pay for a marginal quality adjusted life year threshold of AUD$28,000 per 100,000 catherisations, suggests that adopting chlorhexidine would be cost effective and potentially cost-saving.

CONCLUSION

The findings from our work provide evidence to health system administrators and those responsible for drafting catheter associated urinary tract infections prevention guidelines that investing in switching from saline to chlorhexidine is not only clinically effective but also a sensible decision in the context of allocating finite healthcare resources.

Cost-effectiveness analysis of an innovative model of care for chronic wounds patients

Current provision of services for the care of chronic wounds in Australia is disjointed and costly. There is large variability in the way that services are provided, and little evidence regarding the cost-effectiveness of a specialist model of care for treatment and management. A decision-analytic model to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of a specialist wound care clinic as compared to usual care for chronic wounds is presented. We use retrospective and prospective data from a cohort of patients as well as information from administrative databases and published literature. Our results show specialist wound clinics are cost-effective for the management of chronic wounds. On average, specialist clinics were $3,947 cheaper than usual clinics and resulted in a quality adjusted life year gain of 0.04 per patient, per year. Specialist clinics were the best option under multiple scenarios including a different cost perspective and when the cost of a hospital admission was reduced. Current models of care are inefficient and represent low value care, and specialist wound clinics represent a good investment compared to current approaches for the management of chronic wounds in Australia.

Using the best available data to estimate the cost of antimicrobial resistance: a systematic review

Background

Valuation of the economic cost of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is important for decision making and should be estimated accurately. Highly variable or erroneous estimates may alarm policy makers and hospital administrators to act, but they also create confusion as to what the most reliable estimates are and how these should be assessed. This study aimed to assess the quality of methods used in studies that quantify the costs of AMR and to determine the best available evidence of the incremental cost of these infections.

Methods

In this systematic review, we searched PubMed, Embase, Cinahl, Cochrane databases and grey literature sources published between January 2012 and October 2016. Articles reporting the additional burden of Enterococcus spp., Escherichia coli (E. coli), Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) resistant versus susceptible infections were sourced. The included studies were broadly classified as reporting oncosts from the healthcare/hospital/hospital charges perspective or societal perspective. Risk of bias was assessed based on three methodological components: (1) adjustment for length of stay prior to infection onset and consideration of time-dependent bias, (2) adjustment for comorbidities or severity of disease, and (3) adjustment for inappropriate antibiotic therapy.

Results

Of 1094 identified studies, we identified 12 peer-reviewed articles and two reports that quantified the economic burden of clinically important resistant infections. Two studies used multi-state modelling to account for the timing of infection minimising the risk of time dependent bias and these were considered to generate the best available cost estimates. Studies report an additional CHF 9473 per extended-spectrum beta-lactamases -resistant Enterobacteriaceae bloodstream infections (BSI); additional €3200 per third-generation cephalosporin resistant Enterobacteriaceae BSI; and additional €1600 per methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) BSI. The remaining studies either partially adjusted or did not consider the timing of infection in their analysis.

Conclusions

Implementation of AMR policy and decision-making should be guided only by reliable, unbiased estimates of effect size. Generating these estimates requires a thorough understanding of important biases and their impact on measured outcomes. This will ensure that researchers, clinicians, and other key decision makers concerned with increasing public health threat of AMR are accurately guided by the best available evidence.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s13756-019-0472-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Cohort study of a specialist social worker intervention on hospital use for patients at risk of long stay

BACKGROUND

Long-stay patients in acute hospitals commonly present with complex psychosocial needs and use high levels of hospital resources.

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether a specialist social worker-led model of care was associated with a reduction in length of stay for medically stable patients with complex psychosocial needs who were at risk of long stay, and to determine the economic value of this model relative to the decision makers' willingness to pay for bed days released.

DESIGN

A prospective, matched cohort study with historical controls.

SETTING

A large, tertiary teaching and referral hospital in metropolitan Southeast Queensland, Australia.

METHODS

Length of hospital stay for a cohort of patients seen under the specialist social worker-led model of care was compared with a matched control group of patients admitted to the hospital prior to the introduction of the new model of care using a multistate model with the social worker model of care as an intermediate event. Costs associated with the model of care were calculated and an estimate of the 'cost per bed day' was produced.

RESULTS

The model of care reduced mean length of stay by 33 days. This translated to 9999 bed days released over 12 months. The cost to achieve this was estimated to be $A229 000 over 12 months. The cost per bed day released was $23, which is below estimates of hospital decision makers' willingness to pay for a bed day to be released for an alternate use.

CONCLUSIONS

The specialist social worker-led model of care was associated with a reduced length of stay at a relatively low cost. This is likely to represent a cost-effective use of hospital resources. The limitations of our historic control cohort selection mean that results should be interpreted with caution. Further research is needed to confirm these findings.

Assessing the opportunity costs of patients with multidrug-resistant organisms in hospitals

OBJECTIVES

The concept of opportunity cost can be applied to the utilization of hospital beds with special focus on patients colonized or infected with multidrug-resistant organisms. Blocked beds due to isolation measures or increased length of stay may result in opportunity costs if newly arriving patients have to be rejected and the hospital is confronted with revenue foregone. However, the amount of these costs is unclear, since different approaches are used in the literature to determine the respective costs. Our paper develops a concept to assess opportunity costs from the perspective of a hospital.

METHODS

The analysis is two-stage. In a first step, the probability of rejecting a patient due to over-occupancy in a hospital is calculated with a queuing model and a Monte Carlo simulation taking various assumptions into account. In a second step, the amount of the opportunity costs is calculated as an expected value applying a stochastic approach based on a potential patient pool.

RESULTS

Opportunity costs will occur only with a probability that is influenced, among others, by current bed occupancy rates. They have to be measured by average net revenue foregone, i.e., by the difference between average revenue foregone and average costs avoided.

CONCLUSIONS

Previous studies have a tendency of overestimating the occurrence or the size of opportunity costs with regard to the use of hospital beds. Nonetheless, its influence on the hospital budget is crucial and should be determined exactly.

Thermal clothing to reduce heart failure morbidity during winter: a randomised controlled trial

OBJECTIVE

To examine whether providing thermal clothing improved the health of patients with heart failure during winter.

DESIGN

Parallel group randomised controlled trial.

SETTING

Large public hospital in Brisbane during winter 2016.

PARTICIPANTS

91 patients with systolic or diastolic heart failure who were over 50 years old.

INTERVENTION

47 patients were randomised to receive thermal clothes (socks, top and hat) and 44 received usual care. Patients could not be blinded to their randomised group. All patients' data were available for the primary outcome which was collected blind to randomised group.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

The primary outcome was the mean number of days in hospital during winter. Secondary outcomes included quality of life and sleep, and blood tests were collected for cardiovascular risk factors. Participants completed clothing diaries in midwinter which were used to estimate their overall clothing insulation using the 'clo'. Monitors inside the participants' homes recorded indoor temperatures throughout winter.

RESULTS

The mean number of days in hospital during winter was 4.2 in the usual care group and 3.0 in the thermal clothing group (mean difference -1.2 days, 95% CI -4.8 to 2.5 days). Most participants (85%) in the thermal clothing group reported using the thermals. There was an increase in overall clothing insulation at night in the thermal clothing group (mean difference 0.13 clo, 95% CI 0.03 to 0.23). Most participants in both groups did not wear sufficient clothing (defined as a clo below 1) and regularly experienced indoor temperatures below 18°C during midwinter.

CONCLUSIONS

There was no clear statistical improvement in health in the thermal clothing group. Efforts to improve health during winter may need to focus on passive interventions such as home insulation rather than interventions that target behaviour change.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

ACTRN12615001023549; Results.