[Cost of anaesthesia at the university hospital]

Abstract

Background: The costs of anaesthesia in Polish hospitals are usually calculated as a percentage of the cost of the surgical procedure, or as a percentage of the total cost of the operating theatre. These methods cannot be accurate, since they do not take into consideration, the specifics of anaesthesia. Therefore, a new method of calculation, based of the actual use of materials and manpower, has been introduced in our institution.

Methods: Anaesthesia procedures were divided into nine categories, according to risk of anaesthesia, type of surgery, type of anaesthesia, and working hours of the anaesthetic personnel. Each category was priced in points which expressed the actual value of the service provided, and the resulting totals were allocated to surgical specialties.

Results: The costs of anaesthesia calculated by the new method differed markedly from previous calculations. The number of anaesthetics between 2008 and 2010 increased by 20%, while the cumulative costs of anaesthesia rose by only 13%, when compared to the previous method of calculation. Changes in anaesthesia costs, in various surgical specialties, varied from -49% to +65%, and were not related to the number of procedures.

Conclusion: The new scoring system made it possible to calculate actual anaesthesia costs in various surgical specialties. It is logical and practical and merits recommendation.