title: The association of willingness-to-pay and patient attributes: a cost-volume-profit analysis of cardiac catheter unit services in Ramallah Hospital, Palestine.
abstract: The purpose of this study is to examine the association of willingness-to-pay and patient attributes in relation to the multi-service cost-volume-profit structure of a cardiac catheter unit in Ramallah Hospital. This article contributes to the literature by providing primary evidence on patient willingness-to-pay, by identifying the specific break-even parameters of three hospital cardiac catheter unit service types (diagnosis, balloon, and pacemaker), and by demonstrating the cross-subsidization of patient income groups that is inherent in the existing hospital rate structure. Our results provide information useful for (1) evidence-based policy making with respect to hospital rate setting and cross-subsidies of patient income groups; (2) the advancement of hospital management, by demonstrating the estimated variable and fixed cost parameters and the impact of patient revenue mix on the profitability of cardiac catheter unit services; and (3) the advancement of theory, by documenting the relationship of patient demand and the cost of supply in a multi-patient-group, multi-service hospital setting.
authors.affiliation: Health Economics for the Health Planning & Policy Unit, Ministry of Health, Ramallah, Palestine.
authors.forename: Samer F K
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Jabr
authors.forename: Mustafa Mike Z
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Younis
authors.forename: Dana A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Forgione
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D006328:Cardiac Catheterization / Q000191:economics*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000145:classification / Q000401:mortality; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D004469:Economics, Hospital; D005260:Female; D005382:Financing, Personal; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008877:Middle East / Q000453:epidemiology; D019982:Organizational Case Studies