Cost-Benefit Analysis of an Intervention Program in Avoidable Hospitalizations
Year: 2007
Type: preprint
Abstract: Introduction. Avoidable Hospitalizations (AH) are diagnoses in which the primary healthcare attention can reduce the hospitalization risk as much preventing its appearance or complication, controlling an acute episode of the disease or complication, or treating a chronic disease or complication. Although the access to suitable services of primary attention is not translated necessarily in better level of health of the population. The hospitalizations that could have avoided by means of a suitable ambulatory welfare service conform what it has come in calling susceptible of ambulatory attention, or avoidable hospitalizations. Several studies have suggested them rates of avoidable hospitalizations could have used like measurement of the access to the primary attention. This measurement is defined as the rates of hospitable income by conditions for which the entrance could have been avoided, by ej. the precocious primary attention of a patient with a diabetes that has an acute gastroenteritis could avoid the development of a diabetic complication that requires hospitalization. Objectives: To know the real reduction on avoidable hospitalization at the hospital (reduction of inpatients, stays, etc.) while using an intervention program in a Primary Healthcare Center by the better understanding of Avoidable Hospitalizations (AH). Design. Prospective study of cohorts with historical controls and case with patients sent to a hospital with an AH code, after and intervention program in the Primary Healthcare Center. Place. Basic Health Zone and its related hospital. Timing. January 1st, 2004 to 31st December, 2004. Instrumentation: Statistical study of dependent factors (hospital characteristics and case-mix, and primary healthcare center and its characteristics) and patient dependent factors, which modified the case-mix of AH. Results: Rate of avoidable hospitalization passed from 26.42 per 1000 inhabitants (27.53 for men and 25.35 for women) to 15.92. That means a total reduction of 10.5 per 1000 inhabitants. Population of the primary healthcare center was 27,300 inhabitants. The number of hospital discharges avoided were 287 with a length of stay of 7.2 or 2,064 stays. The stay mean cost was 265. The total reduction in costs to the hospital was of 546,960. The total cost of that program, including personnel and equipments was 7,400. The net benefit of the program for one year was of 539,560. And including indirect and social cost, was 947,433 - for that year.
Source: SSRN Electronic Journal
Institution: Universitat de València
Language: English
Subfield: Family Practice
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W167673369