title: Direct patient treatment costs in the Allergology Service of a University Hospital.
abstract: Health resources are limited and consequently real cost generators must be identified to optimize resources. In the present article, we describe the structure of the Allergy Unit of the University Hospital Virgen de la Arrixaca in Murcia (Spain), the health area in which allergic patients are attended, and the final healthcare products generated. Based on the 2004-2005 budget, variable costing was used to calculate the costs of the healthcare products generated (first visits, subsequent visits, and diverse laboratory tests) by two of the three homogeneous functional groups (HFG), i.e., HFG of the ambulatory service and HFG of complementary tests. The following conclusions can be drawn: 1) the current system of variable costing provides information, which should be useful to health professionals; 2) the real cost generators in the microcosm of daily clinical practice should be identified to allow resource reallocation; 3) the costing system used enables modifications to be made that allow decision making on optimal use of the budget; 4) clinical management and complementary tests should go hand in hand with a view to optimizing resources.
authors.affiliation: Allergology Service, Virgen de la Arrixaca University Hospital, Murcia, Spain. jnegroa@meditex.es
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Negro Alvarez
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Murcia Alemán
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Aparicio García
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Jiménez Molina
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hernández García
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Puerta Jiménez
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ródenas Checa
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ferrándiz Gomis
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alcaraz Quiñonero
mesh_terms: D000486:Allergy and Immunology / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002017:Budgets / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019090:Case Management / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019411:Clinical Laboratory Techniques / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003361:Cost Allocation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004180:Direct Service Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017048:Health Care Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006280:Health Workforce / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017721:Hospital Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006748:Hospital Departments / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006785:Hospitals, University / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D010044:Outpatient Clinics, Hospital / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010564:Personnel, Hospital / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013030:Spain