Variable cost of ICU care, a micro-costing analysis

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Medical Economics
• Critical Care Medicine

Background:

• Intensive care unit (ICU) expenses represent a significant portion of hospital budgets.
• Understanding patient-specific costs is crucial for effective financial management in ICUs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To measure patient-specific costs of ICU treatment.
• To identify key cost drivers within the ICU.
• To analyze factors influencing ICU cost configuration.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective cost analysis using a bottom-up approach.
• Inclusion of 138 patients admitted to a Greek general ICU in 2011.
• Data collection included patient demographics and itemized costs of materials, medications, and tests.

Main Results:

• The average variable cost per ICU day was €573.18.
• Significant variation in total patient costs was observed (median €3443, range €243.70-€116,355).
• Medicines constituted over 50% of costs, with antibiotics being the largest component, followed by blood products and cardiovascular drugs.

Conclusions:

• ICU variable costs are patient-specific and influenced by individual needs and factors.
• Medical cause of admission, illness severity, length of stay, mechanical ventilation, and dialysis are associated with increased costs.
• Accurate estimation of variable costs is essential for controlling ICU expenditures.