Get 20M+ Full-Text Papers For Less Than $1.50/day. Start a 14-Day Trial for You or Your Team.

Learn More →

A Cost Analysis of Pulse Oximetry as a Determinant in the Decision to Admit Infants With Mild to Moderate Bronchiolitis

A Cost Analysis of Pulse Oximetry as a Determinant in the Decision to Admit Infants With Mild to... Objectives A previous randomized controlled trial showed that artificially elevating the pulse oximetry display resulted in fewer hospitalizations with no worse outcomes. This suggests that management decisions based mainly on pulse oximetry may unnecessarily increase health care costs. This study assessed the incremental cost of altered relative to true oximetry in infants with mild to moderate bronchiolitis. Methods A cost analysis was undertaken from the health care system and societal perspectives using patient-level data from the randomized controlled trial, with a 5-day time horizon after emergency department visit. Infants aged 4 weeks to 12 months with mild to moderate bronchiolitis were randomized to pulse oximetry measurements with true or altered saturation values displayed by artificially increasing saturation 3% points above true values. Direct and indirect health care costs were measured. Sensitivity analyses were performed to assess parameter uncertainty. Results From the health care system perspective, the average cost per patient was Can $1155 for altered oximetry and $1967 for true oximetry, with a net savings of $812. From a societal perspective, the average cost per patient was $1559 for altered oximetry and $2473 for true oximetry, with a net savings of $914. Probabilistic analyses demonstrated that altered oximetry remained the less costly study group, with an average savings of $810 (95% confidence interval, $748–$872) from the health care system perspective and $910 (95% confidence interval, $848–$973) from the societal system perspective. Conclusions Reliance on oximetry as a major determinant in the decision to hospitalize infants with mild to moderate bronchiolitis is associated with significantly greater costs. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Pediatric Emergency Care Wolters Kluwer Health

A Cost Analysis of Pulse Oximetry as a Determinant in the Decision to Admit Infants With Mild to Moderate Bronchiolitis

Loading next page...
 
/lp/wolters-kluwer-health/a-cost-analysis-of-pulse-oximetry-as-a-determinant-in-the-decision-to-OUsskowOtm

References (28)

Publisher
Wolters Kluwer Health
Copyright
Copyright © 2018 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.
ISSN
0749-5161
eISSN
1535-1815
DOI
10.1097/PEC.0000000000001664
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Objectives A previous randomized controlled trial showed that artificially elevating the pulse oximetry display resulted in fewer hospitalizations with no worse outcomes. This suggests that management decisions based mainly on pulse oximetry may unnecessarily increase health care costs. This study assessed the incremental cost of altered relative to true oximetry in infants with mild to moderate bronchiolitis. Methods A cost analysis was undertaken from the health care system and societal perspectives using patient-level data from the randomized controlled trial, with a 5-day time horizon after emergency department visit. Infants aged 4 weeks to 12 months with mild to moderate bronchiolitis were randomized to pulse oximetry measurements with true or altered saturation values displayed by artificially increasing saturation 3% points above true values. Direct and indirect health care costs were measured. Sensitivity analyses were performed to assess parameter uncertainty. Results From the health care system perspective, the average cost per patient was Can $1155 for altered oximetry and $1967 for true oximetry, with a net savings of $812. From a societal perspective, the average cost per patient was $1559 for altered oximetry and $2473 for true oximetry, with a net savings of $914. Probabilistic analyses demonstrated that altered oximetry remained the less costly study group, with an average savings of $810 (95% confidence interval, $748–$872) from the health care system perspective and $910 (95% confidence interval, $848–$973) from the societal system perspective. Conclusions Reliance on oximetry as a major determinant in the decision to hospitalize infants with mild to moderate bronchiolitis is associated with significantly greater costs.

Journal

Pediatric Emergency CareWolters Kluwer Health

Published: Mar 1, 2020

There are no references for this article.