A guide to maternity costs-why smaller units have higher costs.

In a time of international health care austerity, the costs of running a maternity unit are under increasing scrutiny. Economy of scale is shown to be central in understanding why smaller units cost more to run than larger ones. Awareness of the role of economy of scale in maternity costs can be tra...

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Publicado en:British Journal of Midwifery Vol. 21; no. 1; pp. 54 - 60
Autor principal: Jones, Rod
Formato: tables/charts Journal Article
Publicado: Mark Allen Holdings Limited Jan2013
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
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        atl: A guide to maternity costs-why smaller units have higher costs.
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        au: Jones, Rod
        affil: Statistical Advisor, Healthcare Analysis and Forecasting, Camberley, UK
      sug:
        subj:
          Maternal Health Services Economics
          Health Care Costs
          Midwives
          Professional Role
          Health Facility Costs
          England
          Hospital Units
          Cost Benefit Analysis
          Cesarean Section
          Surgery, Obstetrical
          National Health Programs
          Costs and Cost Analysis
      ab: In a time of international health care austerity, the costs of running a maternity unit are under increasing scrutiny. Economy of scale is shown to be central in understanding why smaller units cost more to run than larger ones. Awareness of the role of economy of scale in maternity costs can be traced back to the 1930s. In England, the Department of Health (DH) has insisted for many years that economy of scale is not a key factor in the tariff of services by which hospitals are paid for various activities. However, economy of scale can be clearly seen in maternity costs in England and elsewhere and this has led to a situation where smaller units have been subject to unjustified cost pressures while larger units have reaped undeserved profits. The situation has been partly obscured by exceedingly poor costing of maternity services, a situation which the DH appeared to leave untouched. Midwives are urged to become involved in the costing process at their hospital and to lobby the DH to address this unsatisfactory situation.
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    language: English
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