[Cost and workload in the parasitology laboratory derived from attention to the immigrant].
BACKGROUND
To determine the cost and volume of work implied in providing a parasitological diagnosis when attending immigrants in a referral Tropical Medicine Unit.


METHODS
The total number and type of samples, requests processed and parasitology laboratory costs were quantified after attending 1258 immigrants during the period January 1989 to December 2001. Estimation of laboratory workload for the total was made on the basis of results from 748 of these patients. A reference to relative value units (RVU) was established for each of the tests used in the parasitological diagnosis. The evaluation included costs related to disposable material and time spent by technicians and medical staff, but did not include costs related to sample extraction or processing of the test request. Modified indicators from the Catalogue of Microbiology studies of the Valencian Community for the year 2000 were used, establishing the equivalence of 1 RVU as the value of one urine culture 5 2.39 3 (398 pesetas).


RESULTS
The overall cost was 99,680.99 3 (16,585,522 pesetas) or 45,934.94 RVU, and the cost per patient was 79.24 3 (13.185 pesetas) or 36.51 URV. The volume of work dedicated to attending immigrants was 9.7% of the total of samples received in the laboratory.


CONCLUSIONS
The cost and volume of work involved in attending this group of patients in the parasitology laboratory was not high.
Turrientes
María del Carmen
Mdel C
Unidad de Medicina Tropical y Parasitología Clínica. Servicio de Enfermedades Infecciosas. Servicio de Microbiología. Hospital Ramón y Cajal. Madrid. España.
Huerga
Helena
H
López-Vélez
Rogelio
R
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000349:Africa / Q000208:ethnology; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000569:Americas / Q000208:ethnology; D000818:Animals; D001208:Asia / Q000208:ethnology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003955:Diagnostic Tests, Routine / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004641:Emigration and Immigration; D005060:Europe / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D017721:Hospital Costs; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007755:Laboratories, Hospital / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010272:Parasitic Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000191:economics / Q000469:parasitology; D010274:Parasitology / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D016526:Workload / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*