[Efficiency of minor surgery in primary care according to the costs].
OBJECTIVE
To quantify the cost of minor surgery in our health district during a year, by examining the amounts charged. To find the degree of clinical/pathological correlation and the number of complications, as indirect indicators of quality.


METHODS
Descriptive, cross-sectional, retrospective study.


METHODS
Primary care, Río Nacimiento Health District, Abla (Almería).


METHODS
The study included all those patients attended within the minor surgery programme in the year 2000, and all the procedures used (84 patients and 95 procedures).


METHODS
The variables analysed were: type of procedure and surgery, clinical/pathological correlation, early surgical complications, and cost per procedure. We calculated the cost of our activity on the basis of: a) cost occasioned at the health centre; b) what a medical insurance company would bill; c) what a primary care district would bill, and d) what a health service hospital would bill.


RESULTS
95 procedures in 84 patients were examined. 31 samples were sent to pathology with a clinical-pathological correlation of 77.42%. No complications were recorded. At our centre the cost was 817.18 euros. An insurance company would have charged 8803.63 euros; a PC district, 4852.03 euros; and a health service hospital, 14 015.39 euros.


CONCLUSIONS
The minor surgery performed at our health centre by our team was more cost-effective than if it was performed in other public or private centres with high standards of quality.
Vaquero Martínez
J J
JJ
Médico, Responsable del Programa de Cirugía Menor del CS Río Nacimiento, Centro de Salud Río Nacimiento, Distrito Centro-Almería y Distrito Levante-Alto Almanzora, Spain. jjvaquero@larural.es
García Aparicio
J M
JM
Díaz Gómez
J
J
Blasco Paredes
D
D
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013511:Minor Surgical Procedures / Q000191:economics*; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000191:economics*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013030:Spain