Computer technology in dialysis. Evolving needs, differing goals, and appropriate solutions.
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Goals↗
Biomedical subjects
John A Sargent
Publications and source records attributed to John A Sargent.
Analyzing the true cost of delivering medications.
Reimbursement to providers for delivering medications in the dialysis field is a subject of current concern, with some payors limiting payment to an amount equaling the provider's acquisition cost. At the same time, some providers arbitrarily mark up medications by a large factor. For dialysis, as well as for the general medical field, an objective approach is required for both providers and payors to fairly set prices and reimbursement levels. This analysis evaluated all cost elements involved in the delivery of medications and determined that an increase over the acquisition cost is appropriate for pricing and reimbursement. The increase has 2 parts: a fixed cost associated with resources required for a medication irrespective of its cost and a markup on the acquisition price. The conclusion of this analysis is that an increase over acquisition cost in reimbursement of providers for delivering medications is required to fairly compensate them for their actual costs and avoid compelling them to either incur a loss or cost shift by overcharging some payors to compensate for underpayment by others. Planned adjustments in Medicare reimbursement for dialysis may not recognize this reality.
Algorithms↗
Iron requirements in hemodialysis.
The correction of anemia in dialysis patients with erythropoietin (EPO) can be frustrated by insufficient iron. To address this effect, we preloaded candidate EPO patients with intravenous iron in the early 1990s. Preloading with 900-1,525 mg of iron yielded the following results: 70% of patients had increasing hematocrits (HCTs) without EPO, and 40% of patients had HCTs greater than 30%. Apparent lack of iron led to blood loss studies. Routes evaluated were blood sampling, dialyzer clotting, blood in the dialyzer circuit and postdialysis bleeding. Projected annual losses were between 2,516 and 5,126 ml, depending on circuit and posttreatment losses. In terms of red cell loss, the results are comparable to those in the early days of dialysis before the introduction of current technology. Extension of these studies to daily dialysis predicts possible losses with this 6 times a week therapy of between 4,663 and 9,884 ml per year.
Anemia, Iron-Deficiency↗
Identifying the value of computers in dialysis.
Dialysis providers use computers to automate complicated tasks, ease staff burden, and develop knowledge or understanding to improve operations and patient care. Some applications are successful, others are not. Success can be economically quantified. Business--billing and accounts receivable computerization--can yield over $5.00 for $1.00 invested. The clinical case is more complex and difficult to economically justify. Computerization of clinical information for charge capture is the simplest application (< $1.00/treatment) yielding the greatest benefit. Economic benefits for improving quality of care through electronic medical records are more problematic. Provider benefit of clinical computing is strictly the net income from more dialysis treatments. Greater complexity--e.g., total electronic records--means more expensive systems and increased staff effort. Many systems cost in the $5.00 + range which must be paid by increasing provider overhead. Dialysis providers must determine the point where computerization no longer decreases operational costs as computing cost increases. This is a classical optimization problem; its solution is crucial to the economic health of the dialysis enterprise.
Computers↗