Costs Associated with C. diff in Medical Patients
The January issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases includes an article that details the additional patient care costs associated with clostridium difficile (C. diff) in a cohort of non-surgical patients. The researchers noted that C. diff associated disease results in increased costs both during an inpatient hospital stay as well as 180 days following the initial hospitalization.
A collaborative research team from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Washington University School of Medicine completed a retrospective cohort study of patients admitted for more than 48 hours to a tertiary care facility in St. Louis. Data was collected over a year-long period.
The team sought to consider the costs associated with C. diff and associated diseases (CDAD). Costs attributed to such were determined with multivariate statistical analysis. The team considered both the duration of the hospital stay and the 180-day period following discharge to determine overall costs associated with CDAD.
The increased costs noted were marked at $2,454 attributed to CDAD with one analysis method and $3,240 with a different approach during the hospitalization. Cost estimates across the 180 day period following patient discharge ranged from $5,042 to $7,179.
There is limited available data describing the costs associated with C. diff and the related diseases, particularly considering costs over the long term. As this is generally a hospital-acquired infection, facilities may no longer eligible to receive reimbursement for charges related to such from Medicare in addition to other healthcare payors. Pinpointing potential lost dollars may further propel prevention efforts.
February 6, 2008 Related topics: Finance, Trends, Quality, Safety, Errors, Hygiene & Cleanliness