Conclusions
Our investigation found that the chief driver of the cost differences
between the quick diagnosis units
of a tertiary and secondary hospital was the ratio
of
successive/first visits. Although
a higher total number of visits and successive/first visits ratio
resulted in a higher mean total cost per patient
in the unit of the tertiary
hospital, statistical significance was not reached. Significant
differences were only observed for costs of personnel and indirect
costs, which were higher in the unit of the tertiary center. A greater
diagnostic and clinical complexity of the patients managed at this unit
added to the own characteristics of this type of major hospital such as
the volume of patients and staff and the contribution of staff time were
the leading factors contributing to the observed differences.
The results from this study justify additional research efforts to
replicate and validate the favorable economic outcomes of these units in
other healthcare settings and inform policy decisions on spending
priorities that are relevant for hospital-based ambulatory care and
quick diagnosis units.