title: Reimbursement of burns by DRG in four European countries: an analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the German, Austrian, Italian and Spanish Diagnosis-Related Group (DRG)-systems regarding burns.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed 78 cases of inpatients with burns which were processed by national DRG-groupers. DRGs were linked to thresholds concerning length of stay as well as reimbursement tables of the respective countries.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifty-one % of cases showed higher reimbursement in Germany compared to Austria, 55% compared to Italy and 67% as against Spain. Total proceeds are highest in Austria with 1,577,000 €, followed by Italy with 1,569,000 €, Germany with 1,502,000 € and Spain with 902,596 €. No correlation was found between macroeconomic key figures and our data.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  International comparison of reimbursement of burns by DRG could be a useful instrument for benchmarking while not depending solely on political decisions or country-specific cost data. For better comparability, hospital indices based on healthcare baskets should be discussed.
authors: Clinic for Plastic, Hand and Reconstructive Surgery, Burn Center, BG Trauma Center, Eberhard-Karls-University, Tuebingen, Germany. oliver.lotter@freenet.de
authors: O
authors: O
authors: Lotter
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Jaminet
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Amr
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Chiarello
authors: H E
authors: HE
authors: Schaller
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Rahmanian-Schwarz
mesh_terms: D001317:Austria; D002056:Burns / Q000145:classification / Q000191:economics*; D003953:Diagnosis-Related Groups / Q000191:economics*; D005858:Germany; D017721:Hospital Costs; D006801:Humans; D007349:Insurance, Health, Reimbursement; D007558:Italy; D007902:Length of Stay; D013030:Spain