CHARGING FOR INTENSIVE-CARE USING DIRECT NURSING HOURS AS THE COST MARKER

The hypothesis that direct nursing hours correlate with the cost of a patient study in intensive cme was tested. One hundred and thirty-nine patients were studied and rite data collected included: (a) direct nu rsing hours applied to each patient; (b) a daily TISS score: (c) a det ailed costing of each patient (all costs are shown in N;Z.$). There wa s a strong correlation between the direct nursing hours and the total cost per patient (r(2) = O.98) (total cost = 54 x direct nursing hours + 344). Also a strong correlation existed between the total TISS scor es and the total costs per patient (r(2) = 0.96) (total cost = 67.13 x TISS). Direct nursing hours offer a relatively simple and logical met hod of allocating costs pel patient.