I mean I knew this, but here are the numbers.
And the bottom line? In a study of 1.69 million admitted patients in 77 hospitals, the COST TO THE HOSPITALS was $286 million — meaning MORE THAN $5000 PER PATIENT.
That’s what it cost the hospital! That came out of the bottom line! That’s not what it cost the patient, and it’s not what it cost to treat the patient. That’s only what it cost the hospital — in dollars. There is also (what they call) an opportunity cost. I remember this one from Economics 101 in college — “opportunity cost = opportunity lost†— and the opportunity lost to hospitals is 7.5 million patient-days nation wide. That means that there would be room for that many more patients in hospitals if the others didn’t acquire infections and have to stay so long.
The original article lists a lot of valuable links, as well. This is a definite must-read and an interesting one at that, too. Well-written.
Also, read this report the article links to. Quite educational: “Dispelling the Myths: The True Cost of Heal thcare-Associated Infect ions” (PDF).
Loading ...
0 Responses to “oi! on high MRSA costs”
Leave a Reply