title: Comparative Assessment of Patient Care Expenses among Intensive Care Units of a Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital using Cost Block Method.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Intensive care services of a hospital are found to consume major chunk of hospital resources as well draining the savings of patients. Implementing proper control measures facilitates effective functioning of critical care services.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Identify various costs involved in operating Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU) and Respiratory Intensive Care Unit (RICU); also find out the running cost of the same.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective data was collected for 12 months period and prospectively through informal interactions with staff.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Construction and estate costs of the respective ICU's were found to be high, followed by laboratory charges. Running cost of RICU was found to be more than SICU.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Costing of intensive care service is essential for controlled operations and to provide efficient patient care.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health System Management Studies, Jagadguru Sri Shivarathreeswara University, Mysuru, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Kanakavalli Kiranmai
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Kundury
authors.affiliation: Department of Health System Management Studies, Jagadguru Sri Shivarathreeswara University, Mysuru, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: H K
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Mamatha
authors.affiliation: Department of Health System Management Studies, Jagadguru Sri Shivarathreeswara University, Mysuru, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Divya
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rao
keywords: Cost block; ICU; costing of intensive care services; patient care expenses