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[Costs attributed to hospital-acquired infections]
Kjeld Møller Pedersen1, Hans Jørn Kolmos
1Syddansk Universitet, Institut for Sundhedstjenesteforskning, Enhed for Sundhedsøkonomi, Odense C. kmp@sam.sdu.dk
Ugeskrift for Laeger
|January 24, 2008
Summary
Hospital-acquired infections significantly increase healthcare costs. Cost-of-illness (COI) studies and cost-effectiveness analyses should not be conflated, as COI findings do not directly estimate savings in the latter.
Area of Science:
- Health Economics
- Infectious Disease Epidemiology
- Healthcare Management
Context:
- Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) represent a substantial financial burden on healthcare systems.
- Existing literature critically evaluates the economic impact of HAIs.
- Methodological challenges exist in accurately quantifying these costs.
Purpose:
- To critically evaluate the literature on the costs associated with hospital-acquired infections.
- To differentiate between cost-of-illness (COI) studies and cost-effectiveness analyses in the context of HAIs.
- To highlight common weaknesses in cost calculation methodologies.
Summary:
- This review examines studies on the economic impact of HAIs, noting considerable added costs.
- It distinguishes between COI and cost-effectiveness analyses, cautioning against using COI data for savings estimations.
- Common methodological flaws include issues with unit and marginal cost calculations.
Impact:
- Provides a clearer understanding of the economic implications of HAIs.
- Improves the accuracy and reliability of future economic evaluations in infection control.
- Informs healthcare policy and resource allocation for infection prevention strategies.
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