Key result
Medicare intensive care unit costs increased 36% to $32.3 billion annually by 2004, while the ratio of ICU to floor cost per day (R value) decreased progressively from 2.55 to 1.73.
Population
Inpatient prospective payment system hospitalizations from 1994 to 2004 in all nonfederal acute care US…
Design
Cohort
Authors
Loading...
Fixed R=3 may overestimate ICU costs in models; supports year-specific ratios in future economic analyses.
Observational (n=121,747,260)
Yes
Medicare intensive care unit utilization and costs have risen significantly, and the traditional R value of 3 overestimates ICU costs, highlighting the need for year-specific R values for accurate cost estimation.
Milbrandt et al. (2008) conducted an observational in Medicare hospitalizations (n=121,747,260). Intensive care unit admission vs. Floor care was evaluated on Intensive care unit resource use, costs, and R values (ratio of intensive care unit to floor cost per day). Medicare intensive care unit costs increased 36% to $32.3 billion annually by 2004, while the ratio of ICU to floor cost per day (R value) decreased progressively from 2.55 to 1.73.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: