Cost Information Research Articles

Cost of hemophilia A in Brazil: a microcosting study

BackgroundPatients with Hemophilia are continually monitored at treatment centers to avoid and control bleeding episodes. This study estimated the direct and indirect costs per patient with hemophilia A in Brazil and evaluated the cost variability across different age groups.MethodsA prospective observational research was conducted with retrospective data collection of patients assisted at three referral blood centers in Brazil. Time-driven Activity-based Costing method was used to analyze direct costs, while indirect costs were estimated based on interviews with family and caregivers. Cost per patient was analyzed according to age categories, stratified into 3 groups (0–11;12–18 or older than 19 years old). The non-parametric Mann-Whitney test was used to confirm the differences in costs across groups.ResultsData from 140 hemophilia A patients were analyzed; 53 were 0–11 years, 29 were 12–18 years, and the remaining were older than 19 years. The median cost per patient per year was R$450,831 (IQR R$219,842; R$785,149; $174,566), being possible to confirm age as a cost driver: older patients had higher costs than younger’s (p = 0.001; median cost: 0–11 yrs R$299,320; 12–18 yrs R$521,936; ≥19 yrs R$718,969).ConclusionThis study is innovative in providing cost information for hemophilia A using a microcosting technique. The variation in costs across patient age groups can sustain more accurate health policies driven to increase access to cutting-edge technologies and reduce the burden of the disease.

Research Article: Profitability of Producing Early Generation Rice Seed Under Pawe Districts: Northwestern Ethiopia

This research was conducted on the profitability of producing early-generation rice seeds under pawe districts in northwestern parts of Ethiopia. Early-generation seed production is a promising business that can be a solution to increase rice productivity and farmers' income. However, limited technology use, soil preference of commodity, and limited rice seed multiplier companies and human resources often become obstacles to addressing improved seed for farmers, especially smallholder farmers. The main purpose of early-generation seed production is to maintain the genetic potential and identity of a variety and regular provision of high-quality breeder seed which is the basis for subsequent seed production. Variety maintenance, production, and distribution of the breeder, pre-basic, and basic seed are carried out by the public breeding institutions or private seed sector. Samples were taken from rice seed farmers within two production seasons. This research aims to understand the economics of current seed production in the case of rice crops and provide basic information cost structure of EGS production for private and public enterprises. The analysis carried out includes cost analysis, income, and profitability analysis. The results showed that rice seed farmers were profitable with a 1.381 benefit-cost ratio and 27.58 profit margins. The total profit of one-hectare pre-basic seed production of rice was 47,433.565 which is the difference between total revenue (Price*Quantity =171939.39) and total cost (124,505.825).

Equal per capita carbon dividends and the waste objection

ABSTRACT Recycling carbon revenues as Equal Per Capita Carbon Dividends (ECDs) is thought to neutralise the two main objections to carbon pricing, namely that it is regressive and that it hinders the poor from meeting basic needs. This article focuses on the waste objection to carbon pricing plus ECDs. If the rationale for ECDs is to protect the consumption of the worst off, why pay carbon dividends to the rich as well? I examine three different normative arguments in favour of ECDs. First, the argument of common ownership of the atmosphere, which can be based on both libertarianism and isolationist egalitarianism. Second, the argument that the rich are net contributors to ECDs through their carbon taxes. Third, a consequentialist argument focusing on the pragmatic advantages of ECDs, especially in terms of social acceptability and low information costs. I conclude that none of these arguments can provide a normative justification for ECDs.

Understanding disability benefits decision-making among adults with self-reported work disabilities: A qualitative study

BackgroundTake-up gaps in safety net programs, long documented in the US, are an important policy problem as non-take up compromises the equity objectives and efficacy of programs. The Social Security Disability program is an example of this: more than 20 million adults report a work disability, but only around 11 million currently receive disability benefits through the Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income programs. ObjectivesWe examine decision-making around benefits application among adults with self-reported work disability who have never applied for disability benefits. MethodsWe conducted 39 interviews with work-disabled adults who have never applied for disability benefits. Thematic analysis identified key barriers and inhibitors to disability application. ResultsHigh transaction costs involved in disability applications coupled with the widespread perception of low approval rates was mentioned as a critical deterrent. Uncertain and lengthy medical processes after disability onset were also frequently reported as a key deterrent. Stigma about receiving disability benefits did not emerge as a factor in application behavior, although a change in self-concept involving an adjustment to benefit-receiving, work-disabled status was cited as a barrier to claiming. ConclusionOur results broadly align with those of other research that examined the information, transaction, and social costs of applying for benefits. Nevertheless, the qualitative data afford a more in-depth, grounded understanding of the primary factors affecting application decisions, and how those interact. These insights are important to inform targets for interventions to reduce barriers to take-up of benefits among potentially eligible adults with disabilities.

Cost and efficiency analysis in Iranian primary health centers: a micro costing and data envelopment analysis

BackgroundHealth Complex Model was implemented to provide primary health care services in urban, especially in slum areas. As a pilot at a provincial level, Chamran Health Complex offers healthcare for more than 57,000 residents of Tabriz. Despite the necessity of cost information in healthcare decision-making, there was limited knowledge about the unit cost of services. This study aims to analyze the cost and efficiency of health centers.MethodsActivity-Based Costing method with direct and step-down allocation methods was adopted. We estimated unit costs in a hypothetical scenario according to national standards to quantify the gap between current and standard practice. Input-oriented Data Envelopment Analysis was administered to measure the efficiency of health centers.ResultsThe total cost of the complex was $2,841,897, of which 67% ($1910373) and 33% ($931523) were accounted for direct and indirect costs, respectively. The vaccination center had the lowest ($9), and the occupational health center had the highest average unit cost ($76). The average technical efficiency of the health centers was 0.519, where the HC1 and HC3 showed the best performance.ConclusionThere is remarkable variability in service costs across health centers, which must be addressed in performance management and contracting practices. Although we found a gap between current and standard practice in terms of staff and facilities according to national standards, Chamran Health Complex has an untouched capacity that can be utilized with better planning and without incurring additional costs. It raises the need for revising national standards by the Iran Ministry of Health.

Toward a Framework to Assess the Financial and Economic Burden of Cervical Cancer in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Review.

To review the economic burden assessment of cervical cancer in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and use the findings to develop a pragmatic, standardized framework for such assessment. We first systematically reviewed articles indexed in scientific databases reporting the methodology for collecting and calculating costs related to the cervical cancer burden in LMICs. Data on study design, costing approach, cost perspective, costing period, and cost type (direct medical costs [DMC], direct nonmedical costs [DNMC], and indirect costs [IC]) were extracted. Finally, we summarized the reported limitations in the methodology and used the solutions to inform our framework. Cervical cancer treatment costs across LMICs vary greatly and can be extremely expensive, up to 70,968 International US dollars. Economic and financial assessment methods also vary greatly across countries. Of the 28 reviewed articles, 25 studies reported DMC for cervical cancer treatment by extracting cost information from billing or insurance databases (eight studies), conducting surveys (five), and estimating the costs (12). Only 11 studies-mainly through surveys-reported DNMC and IC. The economic burden assessment framework includes health care/payer and societal perspectives (DMC, DNMC, IC, and human capital loss) across the cervical cancer screening and treatment continuum. To assess health care/payer costs, we recommend combining the predefined treatment standards with actual local treatment practices, multiplied by unit costs. To assess societal costs, we recommend conducting a cost survey in line with a standardized yet adaptable protocol. Our standardized, pragmatic framework allows assessment of economic and financial burden of cervical cancer in LMICs despite the different levels of available resources across countries. This framework will facilitate global comparisons and monitoring and may also be applied to other cancers.

Cost transparency in otolaryngology: Outpatient procedures cost information at New England hospitals

PurposeHealthcare costs have dramatically increased, resulting in barriers to care for many Americans. To address this, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services implemented a price transparency mandate, requiring hospitals to provide cost-estimate tools. This study evaluates the accessibility and usability of these tools for common otolaryngology outpatient procedures. Materials and methodsCost transparency was investigated using cost-estimate tools from websites of the seven New England hospitals ranked on the US News top 50 list. Ten common current procedural terminology codes were used to collect data on availability of cost information, cost comparison, and ease-of-use by six investigators acting as “patients” for each hospital and procedure. ResultsAll investigated hospitals had cost-estimate tools, with a 35.7 % mean success rate of generating an estimate. The mean times to cost-estimate tools and generated estimates were 35.69 and 34.15 s, respectively. Pre-insurance costs varied by hospital and procedure; creation of eardrum had the largest range. Seven out of ten procedures resulted in lower post-insurance costs. The mean ease-of-use rating was 5.76 out of ten. ConclusionAll hospitals complied with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services price transparency policy. The information available is sparse, difficult to access, and frequently lacks specific estimates for common otolaryngology procedures. Although hospitals are following new Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services mandates, the estimators currently in existence are ineffective tools for financial decision-making.

Comparative Analysis Of Cost Calculation With Activity-Based Costing And Traditional Methods

In the modern business world, accurate cost calculation is crucial for effective decision-making. Traditional methods often fail to reflect actual resource consumption, leading to inaccurate pricing and resource allocation. This research aims to analyze the use of Activity-Based Costing (ABC) and compare it with traditional methods. The research approach is qualitative, employing literature review methods. The findings show that ABC, which allocates costs based on activities performed, provides more realistic and accurate cost estimates. ABC helps companies identify non-value-added activities, improve efficiency, and reduce waste. Although ABC is more complex and expensive to implement, it provides more precise cost information, supporting optimal decision-making regarding pricing, product strategy, and resource allocation. Conversely, traditional methods are simpler but often result in less accurate cost allocation and do not reflect variations in activity consumption. Therefore, ABC is superior in terms of accuracy and effectiveness in identifying waste and inefficient activities, despite requiring technological support and higher initial costs.

Simultaneous update of sensing and control data using free-ride codes in vehicular networks: An age and energy perspective

In real-time Internet of Things networks, age of information (AoI) and energy cost (EC) are generally deemed as two significant performance metrics to characterize the information freshness and energy efficiency. This paper aims at updating not just sensing data but sensing data and control data simultaneously in vehicular networks. By employing the promising free-ride coding mechanism, the randomly encoded control data is superposed on the low-density parity-check coded sensing data and then is sent to the receiver, consuming neither additional bandwidth nor transmission power. Considering the time and energy of both status update generation and transmission, the average AoI (AAoI) and average EC (AEC) expressions are derived for preemptive and blocking updating schemes with truncated automatic repeat request protocol. Numerical simulations present the AAoI of both sensing data and control data, as well as the AEC of the transmitter, which demonstrate that free-ride coding mechanism not only can improve the freshness of control data but impose an insignificant influence on the performance of sensing data. Moreover, comparison with the blocking scheme suggests that the preemptive one obtains the smaller AAoI but the larger AEC.

A Study of Electronic Product Supply Chain Decisions Considering Extended Warranty Services and Manufacturer Misreporting Behavior

In the supply chain management of electronic products, asymmetric cost information is a prevalent issue that can lead manufacturer to misreport costs, thereby exacerbating supply chain imbalances. This study focuses on the electronic product supply chain with an extended warranty service, where the manufacturer bears the after-sales responsibility during the extended warranty period. It explores the decision-making (DM) issues within the supply chain under different information environments and power structures. The Stackelberg game theory is employed to solve and analyze these models, and the main findings are as follows: (1) When supply chain information is symmetrical, centralized DM is the best choice. However, in cases where the supply chain adopts decentralized DM, it is more beneficial for the retailer and the supply chain if the retailer assumes the role of DM leader. Additionally, when the retail price sensitivity coefficient is low, the manufacturer will compete with the retailer for DM priority. Conversely, when the retail price sensitivity coefficient is higher, the manufacturer is better off as a follower in DM; (2) When the supply chain information is asymmetric, the manufacturer may engage in misreporting, which benefits the manufacturer but is detrimental to both the supply chain and the retailer. Moreover, if the price sensitivity coefficient is low, the manufacturer should lead the supply chain DM. Otherwise, the retailer should take the lead in supply chain DM. Adopting such a flexible strategy will prove advantageous for all parties involved in the supply chain. (3) The strategy of “reducing the retail price and increasing the extended warranty price” is a favorable strategy for the supply chain.

The economic burden of bipolar disorder: a case study in Southern Iran

BackgroundBipolar Disorder (BD) imposes considerable economic and social burdens on the community. Therefore, the present study aimed to determine the economic burden of bipolar disorder in patients referred to single-specialty psychiatric hospitals at the secondary and tertiary care level in 2022.MethodsThis partial economic evaluation was conducted as a cross-sectional study in the south of Iran in 2022, and 916 patients were selected through the census method. The prevalence-based and bottom-up approaches were used to collect cost information and calculate the costs, respectively. The data on Direct Medical Costs (DMC), Direct Non-Medical Costs (DNMC), and Indirect costs (IC) were obtained using the information from the patients’ medical records and bills as well as the self-reports by the patients or their companions. The human capital approach was also used to calculate IC.Findings: The results showed that in 2022, the annual cost of bipolar disorder was $4,227 per patient. The largest share of the costs was that of DMC (77.66%), with hoteling and ordinary beds accounting for the highest expenses (55.40%). The shares of DNMC and IC were 6.37% and 15.97%, respectively, and the economic burden of the disease in the country was estimated at $2,799,787,266 as well.ConclusionIn general, the costs of bipolar disorder treatment could impose a heavy economic burden on the community, the health system, the insurance system, and the patients themselves. Considering the high costs of hoteling and ordinary beds, it is suggested that hospitalization of BD patients be reduced by managing treatment solutions along with prevention methods to reduce the economic burden of this disease. Furthermore, in order to reduce the costs, proper and fair distribution of psychiatrists and psychiatric beds as well as expansion of home care services and use of the Internet and virtual technologies to follow up the treatment of these patients are recommended.

Social capital, social heterogeneity, and electoral turnout

AbstractAmong the many studied determinants of voting, we predict that i) increased social capital will be positively associated with turnout, while increased heterogeneity will be negatively associated; ii) both factors will work through their influence on the costs of information gathering and on the social norms of voting; and iii) that heterogeneity will interact with social capital in its association with turnout. We test these predictions at the extremely fine “meshblock” level by regressing New Zealand voter turnout in its 2017 national election on its 2013 census characteristics. We use roughly 40,000 meshblock volunteering rates to measure social capital, and heterogeneity based primarily on ethnic fragmentation. We find social capital is positively associated with voter turnout, while heterogeneity is negatively associated. We find robust evidence consistent with ethnic heterogeneity working through information costs and social norms, but less so social capital. We also find a robust interaction between social capital and heterogeneity in their association with turnout, consistent with ethnic heterogeneity raising bridging social capital that has a stronger association with turnout than in‐group bonding social capital.

Review of SNP assays for disaster victim identification: Cost, time, and performance information for decision-makers.

In mass disaster events, forensic DNA laboratories may be called upon to quickly pivot their operations toward identifying bodies and reuniting remains with family members. Ideally, laboratories have considered this possibility in advance and have a plan in place. Compared with traditional short tandem repeat (STR) typing, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) may be better suited to these disaster victim identification (DVI) scenarios due to their small genomic target size, resulting in an improved success rate in degraded DNA samples. As the landscape of technology has shifted toward DNA sequencing, many forensic laboratories now have benchtop instruments available for massively parallel sequencing (MPS), facilitating this operational pivot from routine forensic STR casework to DVI SNP typing. Herein, we present the commercially available SNP sequencing assays amenable to DVI, we use data simulations to explore the potential for kinship prediction from SNP panels of varying sizes, and we give an example DVI scenario as context for presenting the matrix of considerations: kinship predictive potential, cost, and throughput of current SNP assay options. This information is intended to assist laboratories in choosing a SNP system for disaster preparedness.

Offshoring procurement systems with internal decentralization

AbstractThe extant literature has mostly blamed the setup costs and added transportation costs for the failures of relocating procurement centers overseas, whereas internal decentralization has long been ignored. In practice, issues such as the arm's length principle and information asymmetry can prevent the headquarters from fully centralizing its divisions when offshoring its procurement center overseas. To examine the impact of internal decentralization, we investigate the decision of a firm's headquarters regarding whether to set up an overseas procurement center and whether to further decentralize the procurement center. This article investigates a stylized model and reveals that, even without the setup and transportation costs, it is not always beneficial for the firm to offshore procurement centers under the impact of transfer pricing unless the tax advantage is big enough. An offshoring procurement system with a decentralized procurement center can outperform one with a centralized procurement center when the tax rate disparity is large, because the headquarters' procurement cost information screening makes it benefit more from a decentralized procurement center when the tax rate gap is big. Besides the intuitive trade‐off between the tax‐saving effect and the double marginalization effect caused by the internal decentralization, some indirect effects—cost‐saving effect of the procurement effort and the tax‐paying asymmetry effect (i.e., the procurement center still pays a positive tax even if the headquarters is not profitable)—are found to have a significant impact on the headquarters' choice. Screening the procurement cost information amplifies the advantage of the procurement independent accounting system when the tax rate disparity is big but decreases it otherwise.

Sharing is caring: Designing incentive rebate strategies for information‐sharing alliances

AbstractInformation security plays a crucial role in organizational governance and management, and information‐sharing alliances (ISAs) have emerged as effective platforms for the secure and controlled sharing of information security knowledge. Despite their potential, many ISAs face financial and operational challenges, including inadequate pricing policies and insufficient incentives for information sharing. This study addresses these challenges by proposing a modeling framework for the fee rebate strategies that ISAs can deploy to motivate effective information sharing. Taking into account the economic implications of both information sharing and information security technology investment, we propose two ISA‐based pricing rebate strategies for information sharing: the split‐return rebate strategy and the swap‐return rebate strategy. Analytical and numerical analyses are conducted to demonstrate the dynamics in different ISA settings under these pricing rebate strategies. The results suggest that in addition to firm size, the price for participating in sharing should be adjusted based on each participating firm's technology investment level, its information‐sharing level, and the marginal cost of information sharing. Also, by focusing on various information‐sharing environments, the study identifies specific conditions under which unfair sharing practices are likely to occur.

Earned Value Analysis Terhadap Biaya dan Waktu pada Proyek Pembangunan Gudang Produksi PP. Indopack Printing Nganjuk

Earned Value Analysis is a technique of analyzing cost and time to obtain the performance achieved per time on a project, so that users are able to predict the cost and time required to complete the remaining project work. The prediction is calculated with the assumption that the performance of completing the rest of the project will be the same and constant as the performance obtained when the review was conducted. Thus, a system is needed to integrate cost and time information. The Earned Value concept is an analysis used in project management by integrating cost and time. The results show the value of Cost Variance (CV) week 16 during the review of Rp.1,995,516,896, Schedule Variance (SV) of Rp.-162,490,873 which shows there is no cost overrun in implementation but the schedule is not according to plan. While the Schedule Performance Index (SPI) value of 0.994 < 1 and Cost Performance Index (CPI) of 1.070 means that the project is delayed but still profitable. The results of the analysis of the costs required to complete the remaining project Estimate To Complate (ETC) at week 16 review with a value of Rp. 19,270,138,044. While the results of the analysis of the amount of time required to complete the Estimate To Schedule (ETS) project amounted to 126.76 with a rounding of 127 days.

Not all cost conversations are the same: An exploration of potential value in cost conversations during Atrial fibrillation treatment decision making

ObjectivesTo explore the cost conversations taking place when patients with atrial fibrillation and their clinicians decide on whether and how to use anticoagulation to prevent strokes. MethodsSecondary qualitative thematic analysis of conversations from 476 clinical encounters in three sites of a multicenter randomized trial comparing usual care with and without a shared decision-making tool. ResultsWe identified three themes with subthemes: (1) What was discussed: conversation content (2) How content was transmitted: communication patterns and (3) Implicit conversation drivers. Due to each patient’s unique circumstances, bi-directional conversations focused on relationship- and solution-based content enabled better cost burden discovery. Conversation drivers included affordability, comorbidities, preferences, and uncertainty about future costs. ConclusionsCost conversations were often initiated by clinicians, and if they did not invite a response, patients passively received information without understanding or weighing cost burden. When clinicians discussed cost information using relational or solution-focused content and bi-directional communication patients were more likely to engage in discussion including their unique situation. Practice implicationsSolution-focused cost conversations can reduce financial treatment burden, but require estimates of out-of-pocket costs, insurance coverage, and long-term financial effects of various options. Conversation tools and information on financial resources are valuable to patients and clinicians.

Measure this, not that: Optimizing the cost and model-based information content of measurements

Model-based design of experiments (MBDoE) is a powerful framework for selecting and calibrating science-based mathematical models from data. This work extends popular MBDoE workflows by proposing a convex mixed integer (non)linear programming (MINLP) problem to optimize the selection of measurements. The solver MindtPy is modified to support calculating the D-optimality objective and its gradient via an external package, SciPy, using the grey-box module in Pyomo. The new approach is demonstrated in two case studies: estimating highly correlated kinetics from a batch reactor and estimating transport parameters in a large-scale rotary packed bed for CO2 capture. Both case studies show how examining the Pareto-optimal trade-offs between information content measured by A- and D-optimality versus measurement budget offers practical guidance for selecting measurements for scientific experiments.

"I Just Had to Do What I Had to Do": Characterizing Direct and Indirect Prostate Cancer Treatment Costs for Black Survivors and Their Caregivers.

Direct and indirect costs have a wide-ranging impact on the material, behavioral, and psychosocial aspects of financial well-being of Black prostate cancer survivors and their caregivers.These results emphasize the need for sharing cost information to support medical decision making.Future research should focus on the design of cost-sharing interventions that target the complexities of direct and indirect costs collectively, rather than separately.

Supervised learning to covering cost risk through post-construction evaluation of transportation projects by project delivery methods

PurposeThe main objectives of this study are to (1) develop and test a cost contingency learning model that can generalize initially estimated contingency amounts by analyzing back the multiple project changes experienced and (2) uncover the hidden link of the learning networks using a curve-fitting technique for the post-construction evaluation of cost contingency amounts to cover cost risk for future projects.Design/methodology/approachBased on a total of 1,434 datapoints collected from DBB and DB transportation projects, a post-construction cost contingency learning model was developed using feedforward neural networks (FNNs). The developed model generalizes cost contingencies under two different project delivery methods (i.e. DBB and DB). The learning outputs of generalized contingency amounts were curve-fitted with the post-construction schedule and cost information, specifically aiming at uncovering the hidden link of the FNNs. Two different bridge projects completed under DBB and DB were employed as illustrative examples to demonstrate how the proposed modeling framework could be implemented.FindingsWith zero or negative values of change growth experienced, it was concluded that cost contingencies were overallocated at the contract stage. On the other hand, with positive values of change growth experienced, it was evaluated that set cost contingencies were insufficient from the post-construction standpoint. Taken together, this study proposed a tangible post-construction evaluation technique that can produce not only the plausible ranges of cost contingencies but also the exact amounts of contingency under DBB and DB contracts.Originality/valueAs the first of its kind, the proposed modeling framework provides agency engineers and decision-makers with tangible assessments of cost contingency coupled with experienced risks at the post-construction stage. Use of the proposed model will help them evaluate the allocation of appropriate contingency amounts. If an agency allocates a cost contingency benchmarked from similar projects on aspects of the base estimate and experienced risks, a set contingency can be defended more reliably. The main findings of this study contribute to post-construction cost contingency verification, enabling agency engineers and decision-makers to systematically evaluate set cost contingencies during the post-construction assessment stage and achieving further any enhanced level of confidence for future cost contingency plans.