Economic evaluation of infection control activities

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Infectious Disease Control
• Health Economics

Background:

• Drug-resistant bacteria pose a significant threat to patient outcomes in healthcare settings.
• Infection control measures are a growing priority for Japanese medical institutions.
• Understanding the economic aspects of infection control is crucial for effective resource allocation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a comprehensive cost analysis of infection control activities.
• To evaluate the costs associated with consumables and labor in infection control.
• To determine the cost-effectiveness of infection control interventions.

Main Methods:

• A survey of infection control activities and associated costs was conducted at Nishimino Kosei Hospital from 2013 to 2015.
• The meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus detection rate was used as an evaluation metric.
• Cost-effectiveness ratios (CER) for various interventions were calculated.

Main Results:

• Both consumable and labor costs for infection control increased during the study period.
• The ratio of labor cost to total cost also showed an upward trend.
• The CER of interventions significantly decreased, indicating improved economic efficiency from ¥164,177 in 2014 to ¥57,989 in 2015.

Conclusions:

• Increased investment in infection control consumables and infection control team (ICT) time is associated with improved economic efficiency.
• The findings suggest that optimizing resource allocation can enhance the cost-effectiveness of infection control strategies.
• Further research into economic efficiency improvements in infection control is warranted.