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Antibiotic cost reduction by providing cost information
E Rubinstein1, A Barzilai, S Segev
1Infectious Diseases Unit, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Israel.
Abstract:
Antibiotic cost information was added to the computerized print-out for each patient of microbiology culture results, next to the antibiotic susceptibility list. During the first six months of this addition, the average monthly cost of antibiotics decreased by 16.5% ($7636) compared to the 12 months period preceding the study period. The average antibiotic cost per admission decreased by 15.7% ($1.61) and the average antibiotic cost/hospital day decreased by 10.6% ($0.23). Antibiotic savings were highest in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (21.7%) and lowest in the Department of Paediatrics (10.8%). Two-thirds of the average savings were initiated by the house-staff and the remainder by infectious disease consultants. The effect of this system on the level of medical care remains to be studied.
Insights
Adding antibiotic cost data to patient reports significantly reduced antibiotic expenses by over 15% within six months. This cost-saving intervention shows promise for healthcare financial management.
Area of Science:
- Health Economics
- Infectious Disease Management
- Clinical Informatics
Background:
- Rising antibiotic expenditures pose a significant financial challenge in healthcare settings.
- Effective cost-management strategies are crucial for sustainable antibiotic use.
- Integrating financial data into clinical workflows can influence prescribing behavior.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of providing real-time antibiotic cost information alongside microbiology results on antibiotic expenditure.
- To quantify the changes in average monthly antibiotic costs, cost per admission, and cost per hospital day.
- To identify departments with the highest and lowest antibiotic cost savings.
Main Methods:
- Antibiotic cost data was integrated into the computerized microbiology culture results print-out for patients.
- A comparative analysis was conducted between a six-month study period and the preceding twelve-month period.
- Key metrics analyzed included average monthly antibiotic cost, cost per admission, and cost per hospital day.
Main Results:
- Average monthly antibiotic costs decreased by 16.5% ($7636).
- Average antibiotic cost per admission fell by 15.7% ($1.61), and cost per hospital day decreased by 10.6% ($0.23).
- Highest savings were observed in Obstetrics and Gynaecology (21.7%), lowest in Paediatrics (10.8%); house-staff initiated two-thirds of savings.
Conclusions:
- Providing immediate antibiotic cost information alongside susceptibility data is an effective strategy for reducing antibiotic expenditure.
- The intervention demonstrated significant cost savings across various hospital departments.
- Further research is needed to assess the effect of this cost-awareness system on the overall quality of medical care.