How much does it cost to survive in the intensive care unit?

 

Clare L Hibbert BA (Hons)

Senior Researcher

Medical Economics and Research Centre, Sheffield (MERCS)

Intensive Care Unit, Royal Hallamshire Hospital

Glossop Road, Sheffield S10 2JF

United Kingdom

Tel +44 (0) 114 2713510

mailto:medeconctr@aol.com

 

Margaret Corcoran BA (Hons)

Researcher

Medical Economics and Research Centre, Sheffield (MERCS)

Intensive Care Unit, Royal Hallamshire Hospital

Glossop Road, Sheffield S10 2JF

United Kingdom

Tel +44 (0) 114 2713510

mailto:medeconctr@aol.com

 

Joanne Dean BA (Hons)

Research Associate

Medical Economics and Research Centre, Sheffield (MERCS)

Intensive Care Unit, Royal Hallamshire Hospital

Glossop Road, Sheffield S10 2JF

United Kingdom

Tel +44 (0) 114 2713510

mailto:medeconctr@aol.com

 


David Edbrooke FRCA

Consultant in Anaesthesia and Intensive Care

Medical Economics and Research Centre, Sheffield (MERCS)

Intensive Care Unit, Royal Hallamshire Hospital

Glossop Road, Sheffield S10 2JF

United Kingdom

Tel +44 (0) 114 2713510

mailto:medeconctr@aol.com

 

Elizabeth Coates BA (Hons)

Research Associate

Medical Economics and Research Centre, Sheffield (MERCS)

Intensive Care Unit, Royal Hallamshire Hospital

Glossop Road, Sheffield S10 2JF

United Kingdom

Tel +44 (0) 114 2713510

mailto:medeconctr@aol.com

 

Philip Jacobs D Phil

Professor of Health Economics

Institute of Health Economics

Edmonton

Canada

mailto:Philip.Jacobs@Ualberta.CA

 

 


Abstract

Aim: To determine the cost of survivors and non-survivors in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

Design: Retrospective, observational analysis of individual intensive care patient costs.

Setting: Adult six bedded general ICU in a university hospital located in the United Kingdom.

Patients: Two hundred and seventy patients consecutively admitted over a one-year period (1st April 1996 - 31st March 1997) to the ICU at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Sheffield (UK).

Measurements: Individual total costs per patient were measured using an activity-based costing system. Length of stay and ICU mortality data were obtained for each patient.

Results: The mean (SD) total cost of survivors was £3,514.72 ± 6801.24 and the mean total cost of non-survivors was £3,573.41 ± 5,201.56 using a study by Glance et al, the cost implications of using a scoring system to withdraw therapy at forty-eight hours were estimated. When non-survivors having a length of stay < 48 hours and non-survivors having a length of stay > 48 hours were analysed separately, a significant difference (p<0.0001) was observed between mean total cost of survivors compared to non-survivors having a length of stay > 48 hours. The mean total costs of non-survivors were reduced from £3,573 to £1,189.