title: Financial implications and recommendations for care of ventilator-dependent patients.
abstract: Patients who require prolonged mechanical ventilation consume a disproportionately large share of healthcare resources and represent a significant financial burden for traditional acute care institutions. When these patients are evaluated as a population, trends that may facilitate medical and financial management emerge. This report examines the demographics, cost/reimbursement, and current management of patients who require prolonged mechanical ventilation. Recommendations for potential reduction of costs, revenue producing alternatives, or both in delivering healthcare to this aggregate are also explored.
authors.affiliation: St. Luke's Medical Center, Milwaukee, WI.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Freichels
mesh_terms: D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000628:therapy; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000191:economics; D003953:Diagnosis-Related Groups / Q000191:economics; D017721:Hospital Costs; D006801:Humans; D007349:Insurance, Health, Reimbursement; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008134:Long-Term Care / Q000191:economics; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000628:therapy; D012121:Respiration, Artificial / Q000191:economics*; D014139:Tracheostomy / Q000191:economics; D014922:Wisconsin