Bose C L, LaPine T R, Jung A L
Med Care. 1985 Jan;23(1):14-9. doi: 10.1097/00005650-198501000-00002.
This study examines the cost-effectiveness of returning previously ill neonates to community hospitals after treatment in a tertiary center, a concept known as "back-transport." The authors compared the charges for medical care during convalescence of a group of back-transported infants (BT infants; n = 20) with a similar group of infants who remained in a tertiary center for convalescence (NT infants; n = 20). The total charges for convalescent care (inpatient plus transport charges) for 20 representative BT infants was $61,840, compared with $68,240 for 20 matched NT infants, an average savings of $320 per BT infant. The average daily bed charge and charges for laboratory tests and medications were significantly less for BT infants compared with NT infants, and these reductions offset the transport charges for BT infants. The authors conclude that back transport decreases the charges for medical care for most infants. Therefore, the decision to back-transport an individual infant usually can be based on factors other than cost.
本研究探讨了三级中心治疗后的患病新生儿转回社区医院（即“反向转运”这一概念）的成本效益。作者将一组转回的婴儿（BT婴儿；n = 20）与一组留在三级中心康复的类似婴儿（NT婴儿；n = 20）康复期间的医疗费用进行了比较。20名代表性BT婴儿康复护理的总费用（住院加转运费用）为61,840美元，而20名匹配的NT婴儿为68,240美元，每名BT婴儿平均节省320美元。与NT婴儿相比，BT婴儿的平均每日床位费、实验室检查费和药费显著更低，这些费用的减少抵消了BT婴儿的转运费用。作者得出结论，反向转运降低了大多数婴儿的医疗费用。因此，对于个别婴儿是否进行反向转运的决定通常可基于成本以外的因素。
