[The cost of radiotherapy. Evaluation of the real cost of treatments performed in a radiotherapy service of a center for fight against cancer]

Abstract

The authors present a retrospective analysis dealing with the cost of therapeutic procedures achieved in the department of radiotherapy of the Centre Claudius-Regaud. This analysis was performed according to the actual cost of the different components of each treatment including the human costs. For this last purpose, serial countings of time spent by each category of employees were performed and then translated into financial terms. Results show a large discrepancy between the costs of therapeutic procedures. These differences are mainly related to the purpose of therapeutic plan, dealing with the most expensive procedures dealing with the developmental treatments. This study provides a tool that can be used by medical and/or administrative managers of radiation oncology departments when changes or innovations in therapeutic procedures. This cost accounting analysis is compared to the French administrative procedures used to pay the health care services and to determine the level of hospital resources.