A comparative effectiveness analysis showed standardization of blood product use could reduce healthcare costs by $165 million annually while maintaining positive patient outcomes.
Using MS-DRG case-mix adjusted data from the nation's largest clinical, financial and outcomes database, Premier examined blood use across 7.4 million de-identified discharges that took place from April 2011 to March 2012 at 464 hospitals.
Individual hospitals were compared to a benchmark set by the top-performing quartile – those hospitals with lowest utilization of blood products and better than expected patient outcomes.
Key results from the study include the following:
• The top performing quartile of hospitals used fewer units of all blood products, although the largest difference was in the use of red blood cells – 358,617 units and $75.7 million.
• Usage variations exist across the inpatient service areas. The largest volume of potential opportunity identified was in internal medicine (196,699 units), followed by cardiac surgery (167,490 units) and general surgery (156,326 units).
• Treatment of sepsis presents the highest individual opportunity (35,650 units) for reduction in utilization.
Using MS-DRG case-mix adjusted data from the nation's largest clinical, financial and outcomes database, Premier examined blood use across 7.4 million de-identified discharges that took place from April 2011 to March 2012 at 464 hospitals.
Individual hospitals were compared to a benchmark set by the top-performing quartile – those hospitals with lowest utilization of blood products and better than expected patient outcomes.
Key results from the study include the following:
• The top performing quartile of hospitals used fewer units of all blood products, although the largest difference was in the use of red blood cells – 358,617 units and $75.7 million.
• Usage variations exist across the inpatient service areas. The largest volume of potential opportunity identified was in internal medicine (196,699 units), followed by cardiac surgery (167,490 units) and general surgery (156,326 units).
• Treatment of sepsis presents the highest individual opportunity (35,650 units) for reduction in utilization.
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