This presentation shed light on the spectrum of hospital costs entailed by different institutions for a somewhat uniform disease process, simple appendicitis, and the more heterogenous form, complicated or perforated appendicitis.
Not surprizingly, the authors found a significan variation in resourse utilization between institutions. This included the use of imaging studies and laboratory tests, readmission rates for both simple and complicated appendicitis, and hospital costs. Most strikingly, the authors noted an adjusted, case-related hospital cost for simple appendicitis that ranged from $4,000 to $10,000. As to complicated appendicitis, the cost ranged from $6,000 to $27,000.
Despite the limitation of studies obtained from databases, and the lack of correlatio between resource utilization and outcome, this study highlights the marked variability in management of a common condition that results in substantial resource utilization.
Why does simple appendicitis cost $4K in one hospital and $10K in another. Is the answer as simple as using cheaper but equally effective instruments? And if so, should we not all be standardizing this operation to help save what seems to me to be a lot of money?
Reference:
Variation of resource utilization associated with the management of appendicitis in children: implications for quality improvement through comparative analysis and collaborative networking.
Rangel SJ, Baxter J, Barnes J.
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