The Use of Economic Modeling to Determine the Hospital Costs Associated with Nosocomial Infections
Open Access
- 1 June 2003
- journal article
- Published by Oxford University Press (OUP) in Clinical Infectious Diseases
- Vol. 36 (11), 1424-1432
- https://doi.org/10.1086/375061
Abstract
Hospital-associated infection is well recognized as a patient safety concern requiring preventive interventions. However, hospitals are closely monitoring expenditures and need accurate estimates of potential cost savings from such prevention programs. We used a retrospective cohort design and economic modeling to determine the excess cost from the hospital perspective for hospital-associated infection in a random sample of adult medical patients. Study patients were classified as being not infected (n = 139), having suspected infection (n = 8), or having confirmed infection (n = 17). Severity of illness and intensive unit care use were both independently associated with increased cost. After controlling for these confounding effects, we found an excess cost of $6767 for suspected infection and $15,275 for confirmed hospital-acquired infection. The economic model explained 56% of the total variability in cost among patients. Hospitals can use these data when evaluating potential cost savings from effective infection-control measures.Keywords
This publication has 69 references indexed in Scilit:
- Role of infection control measures in limiting morbidity associated with multi-resistant organisms in critically ill patientsJournal of Hospital Infection, 2000
- Impact of Nosocomial Infections on Outcome: Myths and EvidenceInfection Control & Hospital Epidemiology, 1999
- Predicting Outcome in the Intensive Care Unit Using Scoring SystemsMedical Care, 1998
- Importance of pre-existing co-morbidities for prognosis of septicemia in critically ill patientsIntensive Care Medicine, 1993
- Usefulness of severity indices in intensive care medicine as a predictor of nosocomial infection riskIntensive Care Medicine, 1991
- National nosocomial infections surveillance system (NNIS): Description of surveillance methodsAmerican Journal of Infection Control, 1991
- CDC definitions for nosocomial infections, 1988American Journal of Infection Control, 1988
- Refining Case-Mix AdjustmentNew England Journal of Medicine, 1987
- Use of the Appropriateness Evaluation Protocol for Estimating the Incremental Costs Associated With Nosocomial InfectionsMedical Care, 1987
- A new method of classifying prognostic comorbidity in longitudinal studies: Development and validationJournal of Chronic Diseases, 1987