COST CONTROL IN PREOPERATIVE ANESTHESIOLOGICAL SCREENING

Increasing costs force us to evaluate all measures of medical treatmen t in terms of their effects on the health of oar patients. The avoidan ce of unnecessary diagnostic and therapeutic measures should be the fi rst step to reduce costs. The aim of our study was the evaluation of t he potential for cost reduction in preoperative anaesthesiological scr eening. A retrospective review of our data base on 2049 patients of ou r preanaesthesiological evaluation unit showed 705 electrocardiograms, 1296 chest x-rays and 227 spirometries which were not indicated. The calculated potential cost reduction for theses screening measures was Euro 60188.62. The avoidance of unnecessary screening methods enables cost reductions without deficits in the quality of care.