title: Valuation of hospital bed-days released by infection control programs: a comparison of methods.
abstract: We performed a contingent valuation survey to elicit the opportunity cost of bed-days consumed by healthcare-associated infections in 11 European hospitals. The opportunity cost of a bed-day was significantly lower than the accounting cost; median values were €72 and €929, respectively (P < .001). Accounting methods overestimate the opportunity cost of bed-days.
authors.affiliation: Infection Control Program, University of Geneva Hospitals and Faculty of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Andrew J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Stewardson
authors.forename: Stephan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Harbarth
authors.forename: Nicholas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Graves
mesh_terms: D001509:Bed Occupancy / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D003625:Data Collection; D003953:Diagnosis-Related Groups; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D017721:Hospital Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans