Neonatal back-transport. Cost-effectiveness.

Area of Science:

• Neonatal care
• Health economics
• Healthcare management

Background:

• Tertiary centers provide specialized care for critically ill neonates.
• Convalescence planning for neonates involves decisions about care location post-discharge.
• The cost-effectiveness of transferring neonates back to community hospitals is an important consideration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of back-transport for previously ill neonates.
• To compare the total medical charges for convalescent care between back-transported (BT) and non-back-transported (NT) infants.
• To determine if cost savings justify the practice of back-transport.

Main Methods:

• Comparative analysis of medical charges for two groups of neonates (n=20 each).
• Group 1: Infants transferred back to community hospitals (BT infants).
• Group 2: Infants who remained in the tertiary center for convalescence (NT infants).

Main Results:

• Total convalescent care charges for BT infants averaged $61,840 versus $68,240 for NT infants.
• Average savings of $320 per BT infant were observed.
• Reduced daily bed charges, laboratory tests, and medication costs for BT infants offset transport expenses.

Conclusions:

• Back-transport significantly decreases medical care charges for most neonates.
• The decision to back-transport should primarily be based on clinical factors, not solely cost.
• This practice offers a cost-effective solution for neonatal convalescent care.