Cost of Care of Newborns in a Public Regional General Hospital in the Province of Buenos Aires

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Some patients in neonatal units require many high-complexity procedures. However, there is very little information about the costs. OBJECTIVE: To estimate the total cost and the cost by area of the Neonatology Unit of the Penna Hospital in Bahía Blanca; as well as the unit cost per healthy newborn baby and per day of hospitalization for those referred to the inpatient area. METHODS: All live newborns (NB) assisted at the Neonatology Unit of the Penna Hospital in 2011 were included and divided in two groups: healthy term newborns (HTNB) and newborns requiring admission (NBA). The study included description of the unit structure and process of care, collection of direct costs, cost allocation by area, estimation of unit cost for HTNB and per day of hospitalization. RESULTS: In 2011, the direct annual cost of the unit was $8,835,407 (US$2,118,803). The unit cost per HTNB was $566 (US$136) with natural birth and $604 (US$145) with cesarean section. Wage costs had the highest relative weight (70%). The cost per day of NBA hospitalization was $1,028 (US$247). Wage costs totaled 69% of this value, while inputs represented 23%. CONCLUSIONS: The cost of greater impact is the wage and the area of higest incidence is the placement, given the complexity of the newborns care at risk.