title: Cost and effectiveness analysis using nursing staff-prepared thickened liquids vs. commercially thickened liquids in stroke patients with dysphagia.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the entire cost of nursing staff-prepared thickened liquids with Resource ThickenUp vs. utilizing commercially prepared thickened liquids in an acute care hospital. Time, cost, and effectiveness were studied in a 37-bed adult acute care neuroscience patient care unit in a large urban community hospital. Registered nurses and patient care technicians experienced in mixing thickened liquids for patients with dysphagia created liquids thickened to the consistency of nectar and honey from water, milk, and orange juice. Commercially prepared thickened liquids were 44% to 59% less expensive than the cost of manually creating the thickened liquids. Commercially prepared thickened liquids were more effective and of consistent viscosity than manually prepared thickened liquids due to variability in the skill of the preparer, alteration in the viscosity of the product based on acidity, protein, or sit-time from preparation to consumption.
authors.affiliation: Central DuPage Hospital, Neuroscience Unit, Winfield, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kotecki
authors.forename: Robin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schmidt
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003680:Deglutition Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000451:nursing / Q000628:therapy*; D005526:Food, Formulated / Q000191:economics*; D017721:Hospital Costs; D006801:Humans; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications / Q000451:nursing*; D014481:United States