The business case for quality: economic analysis of the Michigan Keystone Patient Safety Program in ICUs

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Quality
• Infectious Disease Prevention
• Health Economics

Background:

• Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in hospitalized patients.
• An estimated 5% of patients in U.S. hospitals acquire HAIs annually.
• These infections represent a significant burden on healthcare systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To calculate the costs and benefits of a patient safety program in intensive care units (ICUs).
• To evaluate the economic impact of reducing specific HAIs.
• To assess the value of the Michigan Keystone ICU Patient Safety Program.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of data from 6 hospitals participating in the Michigan Keystone ICU Patient Safety Program.
• Calculation of averted cases of catheter-related bloodstream infections (CRBSIs) and ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP).
• Determination of the cost per infection averted and comparison with estimated costs of infection episodes.

Main Results:

• The program averted an average of 29.9 CRBSIs and 18.0 VAPs per hospital annually.
• The average cost of the intervention was $3375 per infection averted (2007 dollars).
• Intervention costs were substantially less than the estimated additional healthcare costs per infection episode ($12,208–$56,167).

Conclusions:

• The patient safety program demonstrates a strong positive economic benefit by reducing HAIs.
• The cost-effectiveness of the intervention is significant, with costs per averted infection far below the costs of treating infections.
• The study highlights the financial advantages of investing in patient safety initiatives in ICUs, not including other benefits like reduced sepsis and mortality.