Resource cost analysis of cervical spine trauma radiography

PURPOSE: To determine the resource costs of the technical component of cerv ical spine radiography in patients with trauma and the factors that drive r esource costs, to provide a model for resource cost estimation, and to comp are resource costs with other methods of cost estimation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Direct measurement was made of technologist labor an d supply costs of a cohort of 409 consecutive patients with trauma who unde rwent cervical spine radiography. Probability of cervical spine injury was determined by reviewing emergency department medical records, An animated s imulation model was used to combine cost and injury probability estimates t o determine resource costs. Sensitivity analysis explored factors that dete rmined costs and estimated uncertainty in model estimations. Comparison was made with other cost estimates. RESULTS: The average technical resource cost for cervical spine radiography was $49.60. Both direct labor ($19.60 vs $13.33; P < .005) and film ($8.39 vs $6.76; P < .005) costs were greater in patients with high probability o f injury than in those with low probability of injury. Overall costs in pat ients with high probability of injury exceeded those in patients with low p robability of injury by 33%. Resource costs exceeded Medicare resource-base d relative value unit reimbursements for all patients with trauma. CONCLUSION: Resource costs of the technical components of cervical spine ra diography varied with patient probability of injury and were higher than Me dicare reimbursements.