Work

Cost Management in Healthcare: A PRISMA-Based Systematic Review of International Research

Year: 2026

Type: review

Abstract: The growing economic pressures on healthcare systems have heightened the need for effective and sustainable cost management strategies. This study presents a PRISMA-based systematic review of 210 peer-reviewed articles published between 1974 and 2024, retrieved from the Scopus and Web of Science databases. Following a structured selection and screening process, the articles were analysed to identify dominant cost control tools, contextual applications, and methodological trends across diverse health systems. The findings highlight a strong prevalence of Activity-Based Costing (ABC), Diagnosis-Related Groups (DRG), and benchmarking practices, predominantly in public hospital settings. However, significant thematic gaps remain, particularly concerning low-income countries, interdisciplinary integration, and the evaluation of digital technologies for financial optimisation. This review provides a comprehensive thematic synthesis of international research, consolidating knowledge in healthcare cost management and offering evidence-based recommendations to guide future empirical research, policy design, and strategic planning in health finance.

Source: Administrative Sciences

DOI: 10.3390/admsci16010046

Authors: Sofia Nair Barbosa, Amélia Cristina Ferreira Silva, Isabel Maldonado, Pedro Gaspar

Institutions: Universidade Portucalense, REMIT – Research on Economics, Management and Information Technologies, Centro de Estudos Organizacionais e Sociais

Language: English

Topic: Healthcare Systems and Reforms

Subfield: Finance

Field: Economics, Econometrics and Finance

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,689