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A cost analysis of the establishment of a dedicated orthopaedic outpatient injection clinic at a single institution

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Abstract

Introduction

Traditionally orthopaedic injections were performed in a theatre setting. A dedicated outpatient injection clinic was established at our institution to attempt to provide injections more cost effectively. Our aim was to perform a cost analysis of orthopaedic injections performed in theatre, compared to those performed in a dedicated OPD injection clinic.

Methods

Patient data for all orthopaedic injections performed at a single institution from 2013 to 2014 was obtained using HIPE data. A detailed breakdown of costings for two scenarios; those performed in theatre and those in the dedicated OPD injection clinic was obtained from the hospital finance department. A unit cost per injection for theatre and OPD was derived from this financial information.

Results

A total of 487 injections were performed in 2013, with 491 performed in 2014. 134 (27.5%) injections were performed in the OPD in 2013 compared to 388 (79%) in 2014. The unit cost per injection was calculated as €52.13 for theatre and €23.85 for OPD, this represented a 115% decrease in cost per injection.

Conclusion

The creation of a dedicated orthopaedic injection clinic resulted in considerable cost savings at our institution. We propose this may be a more cost-efficient model for delivery of injections in the orthopaedic setting.

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Acknowledgements

We thank theatre, clinic and administrative staff in Connolly Hospital, Blanchardstown for facilitating this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Trauma and Orthopaedics, Connolly Hospital, Blanchardstown, Dublin 15, Ireland

    M. Curtin, S. C. O’Neill, P. Keogh & P. Kenny

Authors
  1. M. Curtin
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  2. S. C. O’Neill
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  3. P. Keogh
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  4. P. Kenny
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to M. Curtin.

Ethics declarations

This study received no external funding.

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

All procedures performed were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Curtin, M., O’Neill, S.C., Keogh, P. et al. A cost analysis of the establishment of a dedicated orthopaedic outpatient injection clinic at a single institution. Ir J Med Sci 186, 683–686 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11845-017-1568-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11845-017-1568-1

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