Cost savings in inpatient oncology through an integrative medicine approach.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the cost impact of an integrative medicine intervention on an inpatient oncology service.


METHODS
This study used nonrandomized, nonequivalent groups. A baseline sample of inpatient oncology patients at Beth Israel Medical Center admitted to the medical oncology unit before implementation of the Urban Zen Initiative were compared with patients admitted after the Urban Zen Initiative was in place.


METHODS
The Urban Zen Initiative incorporated yoga therapy, holistic nursing techniques, and a "healing environment" into routine inpatient oncology care. Length of stay and medication use data were extracted from Beth Israel's decision support electronic database. We compared length of stay, total medication costs, and costs of as-needed medications for both groups: the baseline sample of inpatient oncology patients and patients exposed to the Urban Zen healing environment initiative.


RESULTS
We had complete cost data on 85 patients in our baseline group and 72 in our intervention group. We found no difference in length of stay between the 2 groups. We found a significant decrease in use of antiemetic, anxiolytic, and hypnotic medication costs as well as a decrease in total medication costs in the Urban Zen sample compared with the baseline group.


CONCLUSIONS
An integrative medicine approach including yoga therapy, holistic nursing, and a healing environment in the inpatient setting can decrease use of medications, resulting in substantial cost savings for hospitals in the care of oncology patients.
Department of Integrative Medicine, Beth Israel Medical Center, New York, NY 10016, USA. bkligler@chpnet.org
Benjamin
B
Kligler
Peter
P
Homel
Louis B
LB
Harrison
Hanniel D
HD
Levenson
Jeanne B
JB
Kenney
Woodson
W
Merrell
D001007:Anxiety / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D019341:Aromatherapy; D017046:Cost Savings / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003863:Depression / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D017048:Health Care Costs; D018939:Holistic Nursing; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055048:Integrative Medicine / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008495:Medical Oncology / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000191:economics* / Q000451:nursing / Q000628:therapy; D010146:Pain / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D010686:Philosophy, Medical; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D014481:United States; D015013:Yoga