Investigating the Causes of Undue Financial Balance for Removal of Internal Fixator under the Tw-DRGs Payment System

Background: According to data from Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital (KSVGH), 67.9% of patients undergoing internal fixator removal incurred a negative financial balance. Objectives: We conducted this retrospective study to investigate factors contributing to such a negative financial balance to p...

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Main Authors: Shuo-Po Weng, Yu-Ling Wu, Jen-Yu Chen, Yu-Han Lo, Chien-Jen Hsu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2023-04-01
Series:Formosan Journal of Musculoskeletal Disorders
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.lww.com/10.4103/FJMD.FJMD_305
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author Shuo-Po Weng
Yu-Ling Wu
Jen-Yu Chen
Yu-Han Lo
Chien-Jen Hsu
author_facet Shuo-Po Weng
Yu-Ling Wu
Jen-Yu Chen
Yu-Han Lo
Chien-Jen Hsu
author_sort Shuo-Po Weng
collection DOAJ
description Background: According to data from Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital (KSVGH), 67.9% of patients undergoing internal fixator removal incurred a negative financial balance. Objectives: We conducted this retrospective study to investigate factors contributing to such a negative financial balance to policy recommendations for addressing profit loss. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively collected the data of patients hospitalized for internal fixator removal between January 2019 and August 2020 from the KSVGH clinical database. The data included patient demographic characteristics, emergency records, surgical records, hospitalization records, and declarations of expense from the National Health Insurance Administration. Results: The fees for surgery, anesthesia, and use of ward beds constituted over 80% of the total cost. Patients with two or more procedural codes incurred a negative financial balance; however, 65.4% of patients with a single procedural code had a negative financial balance. The average cost of general anesthesia (NT$7150) was nearly twice that of spinal anesthesia (NT$3675). Among patients undergoing implant removal at two sites of the same upper extremity, the use of regional anesthesia instead of general anesthesia in 23 patients would have saved NT$57,523, and the use of a brachial plexus nerve block instead of general anesthesia in 16 patients would have saved NT$111,808. When brachial plexus block anesthesia was used, patients can leave the hospital 6 h after surgery. Under the Taiwan Diagnosis-Related Group payment system, additional procedural codes did not increase the profit of the hospital. Reporting two or more procedural codes engendered a negative financial balance. Conclusions: Either spinal anesthesia or brachial plexus block anesthesia could reduce medical expenses for patients undergoing internal fixator removal at two sites of the same extremity. Registering two or more procedural codes was noted to engender a negative financial balance.
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spelling doaj-art-5c981006cbb446f4878fd5b7f219e7812025-08-20T02:08:43ZengWolters Kluwer Medknow PublicationsFormosan Journal of Musculoskeletal Disorders2210-79402210-79592023-04-01142626610.4103/FJMD.FJMD_305Investigating the Causes of Undue Financial Balance for Removal of Internal Fixator under the Tw-DRGs Payment SystemShuo-Po WengYu-Ling WuJen-Yu ChenYu-Han LoChien-Jen HsuBackground: According to data from Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital (KSVGH), 67.9% of patients undergoing internal fixator removal incurred a negative financial balance. Objectives: We conducted this retrospective study to investigate factors contributing to such a negative financial balance to policy recommendations for addressing profit loss. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively collected the data of patients hospitalized for internal fixator removal between January 2019 and August 2020 from the KSVGH clinical database. The data included patient demographic characteristics, emergency records, surgical records, hospitalization records, and declarations of expense from the National Health Insurance Administration. Results: The fees for surgery, anesthesia, and use of ward beds constituted over 80% of the total cost. Patients with two or more procedural codes incurred a negative financial balance; however, 65.4% of patients with a single procedural code had a negative financial balance. The average cost of general anesthesia (NT$7150) was nearly twice that of spinal anesthesia (NT$3675). Among patients undergoing implant removal at two sites of the same upper extremity, the use of regional anesthesia instead of general anesthesia in 23 patients would have saved NT$57,523, and the use of a brachial plexus nerve block instead of general anesthesia in 16 patients would have saved NT$111,808. When brachial plexus block anesthesia was used, patients can leave the hospital 6 h after surgery. Under the Taiwan Diagnosis-Related Group payment system, additional procedural codes did not increase the profit of the hospital. Reporting two or more procedural codes engendered a negative financial balance. Conclusions: Either spinal anesthesia or brachial plexus block anesthesia could reduce medical expenses for patients undergoing internal fixator removal at two sites of the same extremity. Registering two or more procedural codes was noted to engender a negative financial balance.https://journals.lww.com/10.4103/FJMD.FJMD_305fracturesimplant removalinternal fixationosteosynthesistw-drgs payment system
spellingShingle Shuo-Po Weng
Yu-Ling Wu
Jen-Yu Chen
Yu-Han Lo
Chien-Jen Hsu
Investigating the Causes of Undue Financial Balance for Removal of Internal Fixator under the Tw-DRGs Payment System
Formosan Journal of Musculoskeletal Disorders
fractures
implant removal
internal fixation
osteosynthesis
tw-drgs payment system
title Investigating the Causes of Undue Financial Balance for Removal of Internal Fixator under the Tw-DRGs Payment System
title_full Investigating the Causes of Undue Financial Balance for Removal of Internal Fixator under the Tw-DRGs Payment System
title_fullStr Investigating the Causes of Undue Financial Balance for Removal of Internal Fixator under the Tw-DRGs Payment System
title_full_unstemmed Investigating the Causes of Undue Financial Balance for Removal of Internal Fixator under the Tw-DRGs Payment System
title_short Investigating the Causes of Undue Financial Balance for Removal of Internal Fixator under the Tw-DRGs Payment System
title_sort investigating the causes of undue financial balance for removal of internal fixator under the tw drgs payment system
topic fractures
implant removal
internal fixation
osteosynthesis
tw-drgs payment system
url https://journals.lww.com/10.4103/FJMD.FJMD_305
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