Key result
Standardized costing methodologies and Purchasing Power Parities (PPPs) developed by the WHO are essential for meaningful international comparisons of intensive care costs.
Standardized costing methodologies and Purchasing Power Parities are essential for meaningful international comparisons of intensive care costs.
WHO standardized costing and PPPs enable valid international ICU cost comparisons; leaves open routine application across heterogeneous systems.
This manuscript describes the two basic costing methodologies within Intensive Care: ‘top-down’ and ‘bottom-up’. The former is much easier to undertake and has been in use at a national level within the United Kingdom (UK) for five years. A similar method for international use has also been developed: the International Programme for Resource Use in Critical Care (IPOC). However there still remains the problem of comparing these costs internationally. Many methods are available, but the use of Purchasing Power Parities (PPPs) seems the most appropriate for this purpose. Of the many forms of PPPs the use of those developed for the national health accounts estimates of the World Health Organization (WHO) fulfil the criteria required. The development of standardized costing and comparative indices are vital if meaningful cost studies are to be undertaken at an international level.
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Negrini et al. (2005) conducted a review in Intensive care costing. Costing methodologies was evaluated. Standardized costing methodologies and Purchasing Power Parities (PPPs) developed by the WHO are essential for meaningful international comparisons of intensive care costs.
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