TOPIC: THE ECONOMICS OF POINT OF CARE PATIENT TESTING

The Economics of Point of Care patient testing [Name of a Writer]

[Name of a Institution]

The Economics of Point Of Care patient testing

Introduction

Over a past 10 years, a number of papers have been written to analyze a cost of testing point-of-care (POCT) cost of performing a same tests in a central laboratory. About half of these documents indicated that a determination of point-of-care cost reduction compared with central laboratory testing, while others have concluded that a determination of point-of-care is more expensive (see annotated bibliography). Two studies examined a impact of POCT on a length of stay: First, Zaloga (1988) wrote a report without detailed information on a design of a study, which found that POCT has shortened a length of stay in care units. Parvin (1996), on a other hand, concluded that POCT does not reduce a length of stay in emergency care products. However, if we examine a subset of patients Parvin, a opposite conclusion could be drawn.

In addition to opposing points of view mentioned above, almost all of documents mentioned in a bibliography that follows a section on page 52 of a cost of laboratory analysis without considering a total cost of a care episode. This article examines different characteristics of POCT versus central laboratory testing costs, processing costs should be compared, and offers conclusions as to why a comparison is difficult.

Cost characteristics

Laboratory fees

If performed in central laboratory or point of care, all of costs of laboratory tests can be divided into fixed costs and variable or marginal costs (see Table 1). Fixed costs are those not related to a number of tests. These costs include costs related to a installation itself: a laboratory management, acquisition of capital equipment, maintenance and cleaning, and much of a work involved in managing a laboratory. Additional costs on a other hand, are directly related to a number of tests, including a cost of supplies and reagents and labor costs directly test performance.

Episode of care costs. An episode of care, on a other hand, has a bigger picture of a costs to a hospital or other medical establishment for treating a specific health problem. Costs related to a episode of care includes a length of stay in special care or hospital products, a costs of nursing to hospitals, professional and technical services, medical services, respiratory therapy, pharmaceuticals, IV therapy, and pain and complications of warranty. Zaloga reported that in cases of diabetic ketoacidosis, a average hospital cost was $ 3,925, while a cost of glucose testing is $ 126. Figure 1 is a graphical representation of laboratory costs compared to a total cost of a episode of hospital care. However these costs are dwarfed in comparison to long-term monitoring costs.

Long-term follow-up costs. More than just a single episode of care, long-term health of an individual can be influenced by a types of laboratory testing or received. Medical care costs in a long term with a current costs incurred by individuals, families ...