title: [Use of economic incentives to promote hip replacement surgery at the regional hospital in Tromsö].
abstract: Since 1 December 1988, the Norwegian Health Department has refunded NOK 12,000 for each patient operated with a total hip replacement. The intention has been to encourage the hospitals to increase their capacity to operate such patients. The Regional Hospital of Tromsø has paid the hospital staff extra to operate patients on Saturdays. In this way 58 extra patients received a total hip replacement in 1989. The cost for each such extra patient was NOK 24,869. In comparison, the regular cost for such patients is NOK 35,125. In our opinion, the hospital has found a simple and economical way to increase its capacity for operating patients with total hip replacement.
authors.affiliation: Ortopedisk kirurgisk avdeling, Regionsykehuset i Tromsø.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Reikerås
mesh_terms: D006622:Hip Prosthesis / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006773:Hospitals, Municipal / Q000191:economics; D006801:Humans; D009664:Norway
vernacular_title: Bruk av stimuleringstilskudd for hofteoperasjoner ved Regionsykehuset i Tromsø.