Measuring the Direct Medical Costs of Hospital-Onset Infections Using an Analogy Costing Framework

Area of Science:

• Healthcare economics
• Infectious disease epidemiology
• Health services research

Background:

• Previous cost analyses of hospital-onset infections (HOIs) predominantly focused on device- or procedure-associated cases.
• The economic burden of HOIs unrelated to devices or procedures remains understudied.
• Understanding the full cost of HOIs is crucial for effective healthcare resource allocation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop simulation models for estimating the direct medical costs attributable to 16 types of HOIs.
• To quantify the total direct medical costs associated with HOIs in the USA for 2011 and 2015, including non-device-related infections.
• To assess the economic impact of HOIs not associated with devices or procedures.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the National Inpatient Sample database for hospital discharge costs linked to HOIs.
• Employed an analogy costing methodology to construct simulation models for HOI-attributable costs.
• Multiplied mean attributable cost estimates by published HOI incidence data for 2011 and 2015 to derive national cost figures.

Main Results:

• Attributable costs for nondevice-related HOIs varied, ranging from $7,661 (ear, eye, nose, throat, and mouth) to $27,709 (cardiovascular) in 2011.
• National direct medical costs for all HOIs were estimated at $14.6 billion (2011) and $12.1 billion (2016).
• HOIs not associated with devices or procedures accounted for approximately 26-28% of the total HOI costs.

Conclusions:

• Nondevice- and nonprocedure-related HOIs impose a significant financial burden on the healthcare system.
• These findings highlight the need to address all types of HOIs to mitigate healthcare costs.
• Further research into the prevention and management of non-device/non-procedure HOIs is warranted.