Abstract
BackgroundTo conduct a pilot study on an alternative model for the provision of respiratory therapies in sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (SAHS) by internalizing the service with the purchase, monitoring and control of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) equipment by the hospital.MethodsAn observational, prospective pilot study of comparative cost analysis by internalizing the service to include all patients up to a budget limit of 5000 euros. The cost of internalizing the service included the acquisition of CPAP equipment and all the necessary accessories in addition to the nursing days necessary to track the patients. Patient satisfaction was assessed by a survey of the hospital service.ResultsTwenty-one patients with 23,046 patient-days of follow-up were included. The cost of the internalized system was 6825.11 €. The cost of the outsourced system over the same period would have been 22,781.18 €; thus, the direct saving was 15,956.07 €. The cost per device per day of the internalized system was 0.30 € versus the 0.99 € that the outsourced system would have cost during the study period. In the satisfaction survey, 12 (70.6%) patients indicated that they preferred the service of the hospital over that of the external company. No patient preferred the outsourced system.ConclusionsThe internalization of CPAP service represents significant cost savings from a hospital perspective and an improvement in patients’ perceptions of the quality of service.
Highlights
Sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (SAHS) is a common disorder with a high prevalence in the general population and is associated with well-recognized detrimental health effects [1]
The working hypothesis is that the internalization of the service implies a significant decrease in costs without altering the patients’ perception of the quality of the healthcare provision. Study setting This observational, prospective study is a comparative analysis of the costs of home continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) service in patients diagnosed with sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (SAHS)
After a theoretical estimate of the potential cost savings, the center decided to invest in a pilot study on the cost of health care for a group of patients with SAHS receiving CPAP treatment
Summary
Sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (SAHS) is a common disorder with a high prevalence in the general population and is associated with well-recognized detrimental health effects [1]. In this context, continuous positive airway pressure treatment (CPAP) has achieved excellent therapeutic efficacy with notable consequences for patients [2]. To conduct a pilot study on an alternative model for the provision of respiratory therapies in sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (SAHS) by internalizing the service with the purchase, monitoring and control of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) equipment by the hospital
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
