Patient-level costing analysis of paediatric short bowel syndrome care in a specialist tertiary centre

Purpose To undertake a pilot study estimating patient-level costs of care for paediatric short bowel syndrome (SBS) from the healthcare provider perspective. Methods A pilot group of patients with anatomical SBS was selected at a single specialist tertiary centre in the United Kingdom. The Patient Level Information and Costing System (PLICS) was used to extract costing data for all hospital-based activities related to SBS, from the implementation of PLICS in 2016 to April 2021. Patient-specific and pooled data were reported descriptively in per patient-year terms. Results Five patients had full PLICS data available for the 5-year study period and 2 patients had 4 years of data. The median cost for hospital care of SBS was 52,834 pound per patient-year (range 1804- pound 331,489) pound. The key cost drivers were inpatient beds, pharmacy, and staffing costs, which made up > 60% of annual costs. In the first 3 years following index admission (n = 2), there was a steady decline in the annual cost of care to a level comparable with patients with established SBS. Conclusion Patient-level cost of care analysis for SBS is feasible using PLICS. Hospital-related costs vary widely between and within individual patients over time. Key drivers of cost are related to complications of SBS.

Automated summary

This study aimed to estimate the costs of care for paediatric short bowel syndrome (SBS) from the healthcare provider perspective. The results showed that the costs varied widely among SBS patients due to different factors. The study highlights the importance of considering patient-level costs when analyzing the economic burden of SBS.