[The role of cost analysis in the evaluation of the development of medical technology. The case of allogenic stem-cell transplantation].

OBJECTIVE

To estimate the real costs of allogeneic haematopoetic stem-cell transplantation and to compare these with the historically determined budgets that are made available for this purpose ([symbol: see text] 70,038 for genetically related donors and [symbol: see text] 76,826 for unrelated donors).

DESIGN

Cost analysis.

METHODS

In the period 1994-1999, the direct medical costs (price level of 1998) of bone-marrow transplantation from related donors (BMT), stem-cell transplantation from unrelated donors (VUD-SCT) and allogeneic peripheral-blood stem-cell transplantation (PBSCT) from related donors were determined on the basis of data on adult patients with either acute myeloid leukaemia (n = 66) or acute lymphocytic leukaemia (n = 31). First, the medical resource use by these patients was determined and multiplied by the unit costs of each of the items. Second, a structural programme for allogeneic stem-cell transplantation brings along costs that are not evident from the registration of the medical resource use (e.g., the costs of pretransplantation screening and the selection of the donor). The costs of these items were calculated by taking inventory in the hospitals and assessed by experts.

RESULTS

The average costs per transplanted patient were [symbol: see text] 98,334 (BMT), [symbol: see text] 151,754 (VUD-SCT) and [symbol: see text] 98,977 (PBSCT) during the first two years after transplantation. The greater part of the costs was incurred in the transplantation phase. In VUD-SCT, one-third of the total cost was due to the costs of finding a suitable donor.

CONCLUSION

The current budget for allogeneic stem-cell transplantation is insufficient to perform the transplantations adequately. Periodic evaluation of the budgets for complicated procedures based on cost analyses has added value for the evaluation of the development of these procedures in time and can thereby contribute to the quality and continuity of care.