[Costs of intensive care in The Netherlands].

OBJECTIVE

To estimate the comprehensive costs of intensive care units in general and university hospitals.

DESIGN

Cost analysis.

SETTING

Nine Dutch hospitals.

METHOD

The costs of the ICUs were estimated on the basis of data from the internal accounting systems of the nine hospitals. Allocation keys were used to allocate the costs of other departments to those of the respective ICUs.

RESULTS

The average costs of an ICU in a general hospital were Dfl. 527,000 per bed and Dfl. 2260 per patient day. Corresponding figures for a university hospital were Dfl. 771,000 and Dfl. 2530, respectively. Combined ICUs (i.e. intensive and medium care) cost Dfl. 430,000 and Dfl. 1130, respectively. The total costs of intensive care in the Netherlands for 1990 were estimated at Dfl. 1209 million, about 2.5% of total health care costs.