A microcosting study of the surgical correction of upper extremity deformity in children with spastic cerebral palsy

Abstract

Objective: Determine healthcare costs of upper-extremity surgical correction in children with spastic cerebral palsy (CP). Method: This cohort study included 39 children with spastic CP who had surgery for their upper extremity at a Dutch hospital. A retrospective cost analysis was performed including both hospital and rehabilitation costs. Hospital costs were determined using microcosting methodology. Rehabilitation costs were estimated using reference prices. Results: Hospital costs averaged €6813 per child. Labor (50%), overheads (29%), and medical aids (15%) were important cost drivers. Rehabilitation costs were estimated at €3599 per child. Conclusions: Surgery of the upper extremity is an important contributor to the healthcare costs of children with CP. Our study shows that labor is the most important cost driver for hospital costs, owing to the multidisciplinary approach and patient-specific treatment plan. A remarkable finding was the substantial amount of rehabilitation costs. ARTICLE HISTORY

Economic evaluation and cost of interventions for cerebral palsy: a systematic review

“…A micro‐costing study detailing cost components associated with an intervention, was conducted to determine health care costs of upper‐extremity surgical correction in 39 children with spastic CP at a Dutch hospital . The average hospital cost was €6813 per child (reference year 2014), consisting of medical costs from the first contact until 9 months after surgery.…”

Effects of ankle continuous passive motion on soleus hypertonia in individuals with cerebral palsy: A case series

“…The muscle tone in ankle plantarflexors, as measured with the Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS), increases up to 4 years of age and decreases until 12 years of age; the spasticity level of CP then becomes stable with no significant change after age of 12 [ 1 ]. Although individuals with CP suffer from life-long spasticity, they are usually not offered sufficient opportunities for therapy due to high labor demands placed on therapists and limited benefits derived from current therapeutic strategies [ 8 ]. Therefore, it would be challenging and interesting to study novel interventions for improving hypertonia in individuals with spastic CP over 12 years of age.…”