title: The use of economic modeling to determine the hospital costs associated with nosocomial infections.
abstract: Hospital-associated infection is well recognized as a patient safety concern requiring preventive interventions. However, hospitals are closely monitoring expenditures and need accurate estimates of potential cost savings from such prevention programs. We used a retrospective cohort design and economic modeling to determine the excess cost from the hospital perspective for hospital-associated infection in a random sample of adult medical patients. Study patients were classified as being not infected (n=139), having suspected infection (n=8), or having confirmed infection (n=17). Severity of illness and intensive unit care use were both independently associated with increased cost. After controlling for these confounding effects, we found an excess cost of $6767 for suspected infection and $15,275 for confirmed hospital-acquired infection. The economic model explained 56% of the total variability in cost among patients. Hospitals can use these data when evaluating potential cost savings from effective infection-control measures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Cook County Hospital, Rush University, Chicago, IL, USA. rroberts@ccbh.org
authors.forename: Rebecca R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.forename: R Douglas
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Scott
authors.forename: Ralph
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cordell
authors.forename: Steven L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Solomon
authors.forename: Lynn
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Steele
authors.forename: Linda M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Kampe
authors.forename: William E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Trick
authors.forename: Robert A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Weinstein
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000191:economics* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D017721:Hospital Costs; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control / Q000191:economics; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018803:Models, Economic; D012189:Retrospective Studies