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Errors in health care management: what do they cost?
1Formerly Australian, Patient Safety Foundation, GPO Box 511, Stirling, South Australia, Australia.
Quality in Health Care : QHC
|December 12, 2000
Summary
Preventable iatrogenic injuries incur significant costs, impacting hospital budgets. Establishing a national database is crucial for monitoring trends and economic evaluation of these healthcare-associated harms.
Area of Science:
- Health Economics
- Patient Safety
- Medical Quality
Background:
- Iatrogenic injuries are common and preventable causes of patient morbidity.
- Limited national data previously hindered economic evaluation of these injuries.
- Recent surveys (QAHCS, UTCOS) enable better incidence and cost estimation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the direct financial costs of iatrogenic injuries within hospitals.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the Quality in Australian Health Care Study (QAHCS) for national incidence data.
- Calculated costs using Australian National-case-Mix Groups (AN-DRGs) linked to injury types.
Main Results:
- Twelve preventable iatrogenic injuries cost $0.25 million USD.
- These costs represent 2-3% of a typical Australian hospital's annual budget.
- Costing data offers valuable insights for policymakers.
Conclusions:
- Quantifying iatrogenic injury costs is vital for understanding their impact.
- An ongoing national database is essential for tracking incidence, trends, and economic data.
- This data supports improved patient safety and resource allocation.