Cost Of Total Hip Arthroplasty Research Articles

The cost of total hip arthroplasty: compare the hospitalization costs of national centralized procurement and national volume-based procurement

BackgroundWith the increasing demand for joint replacement surgery in China, the government has successively issued the policies of national centralized procurement (NCP) and national volume-based procurement (NVBP) of artificial joints. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of NCP and NVBP policies on hospitalization cost, rehospitalization and reoperation rate of total hip arthroplasty (THA).MethodsIn total, 347 patients who underwent THA from January 2019 to September 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. According to the implementation of NCP and NVBP, patients were divided into three groups: control group (n = 147), NCP group (n = 130), and NVBP group (n = 70). Patient-level data on the total hospitalization costs, rehospitalization rate, THA reoperation rate and inpatient component costs were collected before and after the implementation of the policies and Consumer Price Index was used to standardize the cost.ResultsAfter the implementation of NCP and NVBP, the total cost of hospitalization decreased by $817.41 and $3950.60 (p < 0.01), respectively. The implantation costs decreased from $5264.29 to $4185.53 and then rapidly to $1143.49 (p < 0.01), contributing to increased total cost savings. However, the cost of surgery and rehabilitation increased after NCP and NVBP implementation (p < 0.01). The proportion of implants decreased from 66.76 to 59.22% and then to 29.07%, whereas that of drugs increased from 7.98 to 10.11% and then to 12.06%. The proportion of operating expenses rose from 4.86 to 8.01% and then to 18.47%. Univariate linear regression analysis showed that hospital stay, NCP and NVBP were correlated with total hospitalization cost (p < 0.01). Multivariate analysis showed that hospital stay, NCP and NVBP were independent predictors of total hospitalization cost (p < 0.01).ConclusionIn this study, hospital stay, NCP, and NVBP were independent predictors of total inpatient costs. After the implementation of NVBP policy, the cost of implants and hospitalization has decreased significantly, and the technical labor value of medical staff has increased, but a multifaceted method is still needed to solve the problem of increasing costs of other consumables. Limitations of the study suggest the need for further and more comprehensive evaluation in the future.

The cost of total hip arthroplasty: compare the hospitalization costs of national centralized procurement and national volume-based procurement.

With the increasing demand for joint replacement surgery in China, the government has successively issued the policies of national centralized procurement (NCP) and national volume-based procurement (NVBP) of artificial joints. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of NCP and NVBP policies on hospitalization cost, rehospitalization and reoperation rate of total hip arthroplasty (THA). In total, 347 patients who underwent THA from January 2019 to September 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. According to the implementation of NCP and NVBP, patients were divided into three groups: control group (n = 147), NCP group (n = 130), and NVBP group (n = 70). Patient-level data on the total hospitalization costs, rehospitalization rate, THA reoperation rate and inpatient component costs were collected before and after the implementation of the policies and Consumer Price Index was used to standardize the cost. After the implementation of NCP and NVBP, the total cost of hospitalization decreased by $817.41 and $3950.60 (p < 0.01), respectively. The implantation costs decreased from $5264.29 to $4185.53 and then rapidly to $1143.49 (p < 0.01), contributing to increased total cost savings. However, the cost of surgery and rehabilitation increased after NCP and NVBP implementation (p < 0.01). The proportion of implants decreased from 66.76 to 59.22% and then to 29.07%, whereas that of drugs increased from 7.98 to 10.11% and then to 12.06%. The proportion of operating expenses rose from 4.86 to 8.01% and then to 18.47%. Univariate linear regression analysis showed that hospital stay, NCP and NVBP were correlated with total hospitalization cost (p < 0.01). Multivariate analysis showed that hospital stay, NCP and NVBP were independent predictors of total hospitalization cost (p < 0.01). In this study, hospital stay, NCP, and NVBP were independent predictors of total inpatient costs. After the implementation of NVBP policy, the cost of implants and hospitalization has decreased significantly, and the technical labor value of medical staff has increased, but a multifaceted method is still needed to solve the problem of increasing costs of other consumables. Limitations of the study suggest the need for further and more comprehensive evaluation in the future.

Comparison of Inpatient Charges between Primary and Revision Total Hip Arthroplasties: A Study of Trends within the New York's Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System

AbstractThe U.S. health care system continues to absorb greater costs for total hip arthroplasty (THA). The purpose of this study is to quantify inpatient charges for primary THA (pTHA) and revision THA (rTHA) and to review trends over the past decade. A New York statewide database was utilized to identify all inpatient elective pTHA and rTHA from 2010 to 2020. Nonelective indications were excluded. The primary outcome measure was total inpatient charges per encounter. Secondary outcomes included: accommodation charges, ancillary charges, and hospital THA volume. Subgroup analyses were performed based on rTHA indication and hospital volume. Total 256,879 pTHAs and 29,852 rTHAs were identified; 6,616 rTHAs were performed for instability, 5,976 for aseptic loosening, 5,155 for mechanical complications, 4,343 for infection, 3,014 for periprosthetic fracture, 1,427 for polyethylene wear, and 3,321 for other indications. Compared with pTHA, there were higher total, accommodation, and ancillary charges in the rTHA cohort (p &lt; 0.001). High-volume centers achieved lower total charges for rTHA, lower accommodation charges for both cohorts, but higher ancillary charges for pTHA (p &lt; 0.001). Between 2010 and 2020, total charges increased 46.6 and 76.2% for pTHA and rTHA, respectively. Inpatient costs of rTHA were significantly higher than that of pTHA. For rTHA, charges were highest for periprosthetic fracture and infection. Total inpatient charges of THA have greatly outpaced inflation over the past decade.

Episode-of-care costs of total hip arthroplasty: day surgery versus same-day admission.

Although day surgery (DS) total hip arthroplasty (THA) has good patient satisfaction and a good safety profile, accurate episode-of-care cost (EOCC) calculations for this procedure compared to standard same-day admission (SDA) THA are not well known. We determined the EOCCs for patients who underwent THA, comparing DS and SDA pathways. We evaluated the EOCCs for consecutive patients who underwent DS or SDA THA for osteoarthritis or osteonecrosis performed by a single surgeon at 1 academic centre from July 2018 to January 2020. Patient demographic and clinical data were recorded, as were preoperative diagnosis, type of anesthesia, type of implant used, surgical time and estimated blood loss. We determined direct and indirect costs from time of arrival at the presurgical unit to hospital discharge. We determined the EOCCs using an ABC method. The study included 50 patients who underwent THA (25 DS, 25 SDA). The mean length of stay in the SDA group was 45.1 (standard deviation [SD] 21.4) hours. Differences were observed between the 2 groups in mean age, mean Charlson Comorbidity Index score, surgical technique and mean surgical time (p ≤ 0.001). The mean total EOCC for SDA THA was $10 911 (SD $706.12, range $9944.07-$12 871.95), compared to $9672 (SD $546.55, range $8838.30-$11 058.07) for DS THA, a difference of 11.4%, mostly attributable to hospital resources such as laboratory tests, radiologic studies and cost of the surgical admission. Day surgery THA is cost-effective in selected patient populations. With the savings identified in this study, every 10 additional DS THA procedures would save sufficient resources to perform an additional THA operation.

The Longitudinal Analysis of Length of Stay and Readmissions of THA and TKA Patients

The demand and cost of Total Hip Arthroplasty (THA) and Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA) have been on the rise, as projected in the literature. This rise coincides with population aging, increasing life expectancy, and increased clinical success. Unplanned admissions, for instance, take a large portion of healthcare costs, along with the length of stay (LOS), and are monitored to control the cost of healthcare services to improve the quality of care. This study aims to analyze the trends of LOS and readmission rates of THA/TKA patients, illustrate various readmission trends depicted by patients under different payers, medical comorbidity, and discharge type, and estimate the impact of LOS on the probability of readmission.

A protocol for a randomized controlled trial investigating the safety and cost-effectiveness of outpatient total hip arthroplasty

BackgroundA significant proportion of the overall cost of total hip arthroplasty (THA) results from the inpatient hospital stay following the procedure. Considering the substantial and increasing number of these procedures performed annually, shifting to an outpatient model of care where the patient is discharged home the same day as their surgery represents a potential for significant cost savings. The potential significant impact of an outpatient care model on constrained healthcare budgets and lack of high-quality evidence regarding its effectiveness warrants a rigorous comparative trial. The purpose of this prospective, randomized controlled trial is to evaluate outpatient care pathways for THA. Specifically, our objectives are to compare the rate of serious adverse events and estimate the cost-effectiveness of outpatient compared to standard inpatient THA.MethodsWe will include patients undergoing primary THA whom have an American Society of Anaesthetists status equal to or less than three, live within a 60-min driving distance of the institution and have an adult to accompany them home postoperatively and stay with them overnight. Consenting patients will be randomized to be discharged on the same day as surgery, as outpatients, or as inpatients according to standard of care (minimum of one night in hospital) using a modified Zelen consent model. The primary outcome measure is the incidence of serious adverse events at 30 days postoperative. Participants and their caregivers will complete secondary outcomes measures at each follow-up visit including patient-reported outcome measures and self-reported cost questionnaires.DiscussionThis protocol is the first randomized trial to use blinding to evaluate outpatient THA compared to standard overnight stay and first to prospectively perform a full economic evaluation. It is also the first adequately powered trial to prospectively assess the safety of outpatient THA. Successful completion of this study could have the potential to provide clinical evidence for the role of outpatient THA in current practice.Trial registrationThis study was retrospectively registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03026764) on March 9th, 2016.

Impact of liposomal bupivacaine on opioid use, hospital length of stay, discharge status, and hospitalization costs in patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty

Aims: Effective postsurgical analgesia hastens recovery, reduces hospital length of stay (LOS), and decreases hospitalization costs for total hip arthroplasty (THA). Improving these outcomes is critical for value-based surgical bundled payment programs such as the Medicare Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement and similar programs for commercial insurance providers. This study compared clinical outcomes and hospitalization costs for patients undergoing THA with and without liposomal bupivacaine (LB).Materials and methods: This retrospective, comparative cohort study used data from the Premier Healthcare Database from the 10 hospitals with highest use of LB for THA from January 2011 through April 2017. A cohort undergoing THA with LB at those hospitals was compared with a propensity-score matched cohort at those hospitals who had THA without LB. Descriptive, univariate, and multivariable analyses compared post-surgical inpatient opioid consumption, hospital LOS, discharge status, same-hospital readmissions, and total hospitalization costs. Analyses were performed using the Pearson Chi-square test (categorical variables) and Wilcoxon or Student t-test (continuous variables).Results: For patients with Medicare (with LB, n = 3622; without LB, n = 3610) and commercial insurance (with LB, n = 2648; without LB, n = 2709), use of LB was associated with lower post-surgical inpatient opioid consumption (105 and 81 mg, respectively; p < 0.0001), a 0.7-day shorter LOS (p < 0.0001), a 1.6–1.7-fold increased likelihood of home discharge (p < 0.0001), and no increase in readmissions (p ≥ 0.103). Total hospitalization costs were $561 lower with LB in the Medicare population (p < 0.0001) and $41 higher with LB in the commercial population (p = 0.7697).Limitations: Hospitalization costs were estimated from the hospital chargemaster. Findings from these 10 hospitals may not represent other US hospitals.Conclusions: At select hospitals, THA with LB was associated with reduced post-surgical inpatient opioid consumption, shorter hospital LOS, increased likelihood of home discharge, and lower hospitalization costs. Post-surgical pain management with LB may help hospitals in value-based bundled payment programs.

Surgical Approaches in Total Hip Arthroplasty Cost Per Case Analysis: A Retrospective, Matched, Micro-costing Analysis in a Socialised Healthcare System.

Total hip arthroplasty (THA) offers an effective method of pain relief and restoration of function for patients with end-stage arthritis. The anterior approach (AA) claims to benefit patients with decreased pain, increased mobilisation and decreasing length of hospital stay (LOS). In a socialised healthcare platform we questioned whether the AA, compared to posterior (PA) and lateral (LA) approaches, can decrease the cost burden. Using a retrospective matched cohort study, we matched 69 AA patients to 69 LA and 69 PA patients for age (p = 0.99), gender (p = 0.99) and number of pre-surgical risk factors (p = 0.99). First, we used the Resource Intensity Weights (RIW) using the Health Services agreed on method of calculating cost. Secondly, micro-costing analysis was performed using the financial services data for each patient's hospital stay. Using the RIW based cost analysis and 2-day reduction (95% CI 1.8-2.4) in LOS, the AA offers an estimated savings per case of $4099 (p < 0.001) compared to the LA and PA. Using micro-costing analysis, we found a total saving of $1858.00 per case (95% CI 1391-2324) when comparing the AA to the PA and LA. There was a statistically significant cost savings using every category: Net Direct Salary ($901.00, p < 0.001), Net Drug ($8.00, p = 0.003), Patient Supply ($454.00, p = 0.001), Patient Drug ($15.00, p = 0.008), Indirect Cost ($385.00, p < 0.001), Patient Care Administration ($106.00, p < 0.001). Furthermore, the AA saved 142 minutes of in-hospital rehabilitation time. The AA THA provides statistically significant reductions in cost compared to PA and LA while releasing rehabilitation resources.

The Role of Crosslinked Polyethylene in Reducing Aggregated Costs of Total Hip Arthroplasty in the United States

BackgroundWidespread adoption of crosslinked polyethylene for the acetabular articular surface for total hip arthroplasty has substantially reduced revision rates and dislocation rates. We aim to provide estimates of the resulting magnitude of the annual reduction in aggregated costs of total hip arthroplasty surgery in the United States. MethodsAfter we obtained, from the literature, the contrasting mid-term rates of revisions and dislocations of total hip arthroplasty using conventional polyethylene vs those using crosslinked polyethylene, specifically from only registry studies and prospective, randomized controlled studies, we multiplied these incidence figures by the cost estimates of these failures to generate approximations of the cost savings in the United States from the use of crosslinked polyethylene. ResultsThe estimates suggest that in the United States these savings might be one billion dollars per annual cohort over a 15-year duration. ConclusionThe use of crosslinked polyethylene has reduced substantially the overall costs of total hip arthroplasty surgery in the United States.

The Effects of Revision Total Hip Arthroplasty on Medicare Spending and Beneficiary Outcomes: Implications for the Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement Model

BackgroundAfter the first year in the Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement (CJR) model, hospitals must repay Medicare for spending above a target price. Hospitals are incentivized to reduce spending in a 90-day episode and generate internal cost savings through, for example, the use of lower-cost implants. MethodsWe used a Markov model to compare quality-adjusted life-years and lifetime costs of total hip arthroplasty, under Medicare fee-for-service (baseline) and under alternative revision rate assumptions (prospective CJR scenarios). Results were generated for 65-year-old and 75-year-old male and female Medicare beneficiaries using baseline spending and revision rates from Medicare claims. We estimated the impact of CJR on 90-day spending. We ran sensitivity analyses for revision rates. ResultsUnder willingness-to-pay thresholds of $50,000, $100,000, and $150,000, the baseline scenario was more cost-effective than the CJR scenario for a 65-year-old male patient if the revision risk increases by at least 7% (95% confidence interval for CJR savings: 4%-22%), 5% (range, 3%-7%), or 3% (range, 1%-5%), respectively. For males aged 75 years and females, revision risk needs to increase by a greater percentage under CJR relative to baseline for Medicare fee-for-service to be more cost-effective. ConclusionThe CJR model holds great promise. However, it incentivizes hospitals to choose lower-cost implants and adopt newer technology more slowly, which could potentially increase revision rates and offset benefits of the program. Policy makers should monitor revision rates and consider changes to the CJR model to ensure beneficiary access to valuable technology.

Factors affecting the length of stay after total hip replacement; a retrospective analysis

Background: Total hip replacement is one of the most commonly performed surgical procedures. Healthcare budgets are finite. Much of the cost of total hip arthroplasty comprises the length of stay in hospital. Advancing care in joint replacement requires identification and correction of the factors affecting LOS. Materials & Methods: A retrospective case series of 299 patients of elective primary total hip replacement, performed between 04/2015 to 03/2016 in a District General Hospital to determine patient and implant related factors. Results: We looked at 299 patients. There was a clear correlation between ASA PS score and length of stay. With ASA PS Score one, LOS is three days, to ASA PS 3 = LOS five days. Effect of BMI on LOS is only significant in people with Grade III Obesity with average LOS is more than five days. Effect of age is only significant in patients above 80 years old. Patient with age range of 32 to 79 had an average LOS Four days but patient in the age group of above 80 years had an average LOS of Six days. Gender has an association with LOS in males four days and females have average LOS five days. Type of Implant shows an effect on LOS with shortest LOS four days in Uncemented Implants. Conclusions: Our study showed that LOS after THR is multi factorial. Health system resources are limited, understanding of these variables is important for more effective use of resource, safe practice and high patient satisfaction in delivery of Orthopaedic care.

Medical resource utilization and costs for total hip arthroplasty: benchmarking an anterior approach technique in the Medicare population

Aims: The anterior approach (AA) for total hip arthroplasty (THA) is associated with more rapid recovery when compared to traditional approaches. The purpose of this study was to benchmark healthcare resource utilization and costs for patients with THA via AA relative to matched patients.Materials and methods: This study queried Medicare claims data (2012–2014) to identify patients who received THA via an AA from experienced surgeons, and matched these patients to a control cohort (all THA approaches). Direct and propensity-score matching were employed to maximize similarity between patients and hospitals in the two cohorts. Hospital length of stay (LOS), the proportion of patients discharged to home or home health, and post-acute claim payments during the 90-day episode were assessed. Generalized estimating equations were applied to control for imbalances between the cohorts and clustering of outcomes within hospitals.Results: A total of 1,794 patients were included after patient matching. Patients who received AA had significantly lower mean hospital LOS vs patients in the control group (2.06 ± 1.36 vs 2.98 ± 1.58 days, p < .0001). The adjusted proportion of patients discharged to home was nearly 20 percentage points higher in the AA cohort vs the control cohort (87.3% vs 68.7%, p < .0001). Post-acute claim payments for AA patients were nearly 50% lower than those for control patients ($4,139 vs $7,465, p < .0001).Conclusion: AA patients had significantly lower post-acute care resource use when compared to control patients. Further research is warranted to evaluate the cost effectiveness of AA among surgeons of varying experience levels.

Healthcare Resource Utilization And Costs For Total Hip Arthroplasty: Benchmarking The Anterior Approach In The Medicare Population

Healthcare Resource Utilization And Costs For Total Hip Arthroplasty: Benchmarking The Anterior Approach In The Medicare Population

Effects of the Length of Stay on the Cost of Total Knee and Total Hip Arthroplasty from 2002 to 2013.

Utilization of total knee and hip arthroplasty has greatly increased in the past decade in the United States; these are among the most expensive procedures in patients with Medicare. Advances in surgical techniques, anesthesia, and care pathways decrease hospital length of stay. We examined how trends in hospital cost were altered by decreases in length of stay. Procedure, demographic, and economic data were collected on 6.4 million admissions for total knee arthroplasty and 2.8 million admissions for total hip arthroplasty from 2002 to 2013 using the National (Nationwide) Inpatient Sample, a component of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project. Trends in mean hospital costs and their association with length of stay were estimated using inflation-adjusted, survey-weighted generalized linear regression models, controlling for patient demographic characteristics and comorbidity. From 2002 to 2013, the length of stay decreased from a mean time of 4.06 to 2.97 days for total knee arthroplasty and from 4.06 to 2.75 days for total hip arthroplasty. During the same time period, the mean hospital cost for total knee arthroplasty increased from $14,988 (95% confidence interval [CI], $14,927 to $15,049) in 2002 to $22,837 (95% CI, $22,765 to $22,910) in 2013 (an overall increase of $7,849 or 52.4%). The mean hospital cost for total hip arthroplasty increased from $15,792 (95% CI, $15,706 to $15,878) in 2002 to $23,650 (95% CI, $23,544 to $23,755) in 2013 (an increase of $7,858 or 49.8%). If length of stay were set at the 2002 mean, the growth in cost for total knee arthroplasty would have been 70.8% instead of 52.4% as observed, and the growth in cost for total hip arthroplasty would have been 67.4% instead of 49.8% as observed. Hospital costs for joint replacement increased from 2002 to 2013, but were attenuated by reducing inpatient length of stay. With demographic characteristics showing an upward trend in the utilization of joint arthroplasty, including a shift toward younger population groups, reduction in length of stay remains an important target for procedure-level cost containment under emerging payment models.

Medication Use is a Better Predictor of Length of Hospital Stay in Total Hip Arthroplasty Than the American Society of Anesthetists (ASA) Score

BackgroundLength of hospital stay (LOS) greatly influences costs of total hip arthroplasty (THA). LOS is, among others, dependent on patient comorbidity. American Society of Anesthetists (ASA) scores are traditionally used as comorbidity measure, but simple medication-based measures may suffice. Therefore, the objective of the study is to determine if medication-based measures (count of medication and the medication-based index Chronic Disease Score [CDS]) have a surplus value compared to a diagnosis-based measure for comorbidity (ASA score) to predict LOS in THA. MethodsA retrospective cohort study. THA patients from 3 hospitals were included for 2009-2013, and demographic data, comorbidity (ASA score), and medication use (count of medication and CDS) were collected. A binomial regression model was used to compare the predictive ability of the medication-based and diagnosis-based measures. ResultsA total of 2,282 THA patients were included. Number of medications proved a statistical significant predictor of LOS. LOS increased 6% (incidence rate ratios: 10.06 [confidence interval: 1.03-1.09]) with each medication. Neither the CDS nor the ASA score had a statistically significant relation to LOS. ConclusionThe medication-based measure count of medication is a better predictor for LOS in THA than the CDS and ASA score. This simple measure also appears to have more clinical relevance, as it has a higher range in scores than diagnosis-based indexes and is easily applicable.

In-Hospital Cost Analysis of Total Hip Arthroplasty: Does Surgical Approach Matter?

The purposes of this study were to determine the impact of surgical approach on costs of total hip arthroplasty (THA) from a hospital perspective and to provide an updated cost estimation of THA. A prospective, microcosting analysis was performed on 118 patients undergoing a THA through an anterior, lateral, or posterior approach. We determined that overall costs (intraoperative costs and hospital stay) were significantly less for the anterior ($7300.22; 95% confidence interval [CI], 7064.49-7535.95) vs lateral ($7853.10; 95% CI, 7577.29-8128.91; P = .031) and anterior vs posterior approach ($8287.46; 95% CI, 7906.42-8668.51; P < .001). A reduction in hospital length of stay when THA was performed through an anterior approach contributed significantly to an overall reduction in costs from a hospital perspective.

PMS37 - Resource Utilisation and Costs of Total Hip Arthroplasty in the United Kingdom: A Descriptive Analysis

PMS37 - Resource Utilisation and Costs of Total Hip Arthroplasty in the United Kingdom: A Descriptive Analysis

Ökonomische Auswirkungen infizierter Hüfttotalendoprothesen im DRG-System

The treatment of an infected total hip arthroplasty is becoming an increasing economic problem. The additional costs of treatment are insufficiently represented in the diagnosis-related groups (DRG) categories. The aim of this study was to clarify whether the costs can be covered under the German DRG system and to identify the extent of the surplus or negative balance. A retrospective analysis of the treatment costs of total hip arthroplasty was carried out. Data from all patients treated at the orthopedic clinic of the University Hospital in Rostock were collected from patient records and from the hospital information system and calculation of the personnel and material costs using data from the central pharmacy and control centre of the University of Rostock. In this study a total of 49patients were included. The average treatment costs were 29,331.36EUR per patient for an infected and 6,263.59EUR for a primarily non-infected total hip arthroplasty. A comparison between the calculated and compensated costs resulted in an average deficit of 12,685.60EUR per patient and an average surplus of 781.41EUR per patient in the control group. An economically viable treatment of infected total hip arthroplasty was not possible mostly due to the increased personnel and material costs but also to the lack of inclusion of the procedures in the DRG system. Further multicenter cost analysis studies and extensive quality assurance measures are necessary with respect to a comprehensive medical standard for a medically meaningful and economically reasonable treatment of periprosthetic infections.

In-Hospital Cost of Total Hip Arthroplasty in Canada and the United States

There is little information comparing the costs of specific surgical procedures performed in Canada and those done in the United States. The objective of this study was to compare the in-hospital costs associated with primary total hip arthroplasty performed in the two countries. In-hospital costs of 1679 consecutive patients (940 Canadian and 739 American patients) who underwent total hip arthroplasty were extracted from three Canadian and three United States teaching hospitals between 1997 and 2001. Participating hospitals used the same cost accounting system to provide per-patient demographic, clinical, and cost data. Canadian dollar costs were converted to United States dollar costs with use of purchasing power parities. The baseline clinical characteristics of patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty in Canada and the United States were similar. The American patients were a mean of 4.6 years older than the Canadian patients (mean [and standard deviation], 67.8 +/- 12.4 years compared with 63.2 +/- 14.9 years). The median cost for the primary arthroplasty was $6080 (mean [and standard error of the mean], $6766 +/-$119) at the three Canadian hospitals and $12,846 (mean, $13,339 +/-$131) at the United States hospitals (p < 0.0001). The mean length of stay (and standard deviation) was 7.2 +/- 4.7 days for the Canadian patients and 4.2 +/- 2.0 days for the American patients. Implants at one hospital in the United States were found to be four times more costly than those in a Canadian hospital. Higher in-hospital costs were found for the American hospitals despite the fact that they had a significantly shorter patient length of stay compared with Canadian centers (p < 0.0001). Canadian hospitals should follow the lead of their counterparts in the United States and implement strategies to decrease the length of stay in the hospital, while institutions in the United States should revisit their ability to better manage the costs related to a primary total hip arthroplasty, particularly by controlling unit costs.

Cost analysis for total hip arthroplasty by measurement of time and material expenditure.

We prospectively determined the total cost of total hip arthroplasty in 26 consecutive cases by comprehensive measurement of time consumption and detailed data acquisition for material consumption including every single item. The average partial cost caused by complications was calculated through the average prolongation of hospitalization in 1550 cases. Expenses of 18,660 DM for a hospitalization period of 23 days and 2/3 cementless arthroplasties were just covered by the diagnosis-related reimbursement, even though quality improvement measures like optimized cementing techniques, jet lavage, intraoperative X-ray control, autologous blood collection, and retransfusion sets were employed.