Cost analysis of leukemia treatment: a problem-oriented approach

Area of Science:

• Medical Economics
• Oncology
• Health Informatics

Background:

• Accurately determining the cost of treating individual medical problems in patients with multiple comorbidities is challenging.
• Existing medical record systems may not directly link patient care activities to their associated costs.
• Understanding treatment costs is crucial for effective healthcare management and resource allocation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and evaluate the utility of a Problem Oriented List of Charges (POLC) for cost analysis.
• To identify the most costly medical problems in patients diagnosed with Acute Non-Lymphocytic Leukemic (ANLL).
• To demonstrate how linking charges to specific problems in medical records can improve cost interpretation.

Main Methods:

• Developed a Problem Oriented List of Charges (POLC) by associating each charge item with a specific patient problem.
• Compiled POLCs using data from Problem Oriented Medical Records (POMRs) of patients with ANLL.
• Analyzed the compiled POLCs to identify high-cost treatment areas.

Main Results:

• The treatment of granulocytopenia, thrombocytopenia, and their sequelae were identified as the most expensive problems in ANLL patients.
• The projected treatment cost for all identified problems over 11.5 months (median survival) for ANLL patients was $40,022.
• POLCs effectively linked charge-incurring activities to patient care outcomes.

Conclusions:

• The Problem Oriented List of Charges (POLC) is a valuable tool for understanding the cost of specific medical problems.
• Integrating POLCs into Problem Oriented Medical Records (POMRs) allows for better interpretation of medical care costs.
• Directly coupling reasons for care, charges, and outcomes in medical records is essential for accurate cost data interpretation.