Cost-analysis project: Daily CBC Hoa Nguyen, MD PGY2 April 2017
Background Daily CBCs are often ordered to monitor patients though at times not necessarily indicated
The Plan Define indications for CBC (with and without differentials) Identify cost of CBC at UCI Monitor the CBC ordering practices of one UCI ward team over one week Calculate the number of inappropriately ordered CBC and associated costs
Indications for CBC On admission New signs or symptoms of infection New signs of symptoms of anemia Active GI bleeding Monitoring thrombocytopenia Contraindications: Patient without above criteria and daily monitoring in hemodynamically stable patients
Costs CBC $54 CBC with differential: $65
The Results Day Number of CBC/CBC with diffs ordered Number not indicated Excess cost 1 16 5 ~$300 2 14 6 ~$360 3 18 4 ~$240 15 10 7 17 ~$420
The Results Total excess cost in 1 week: ~$2004 Projected excess cost in 1 year for 1 team:~$104,208 Projected excess cost in 1 year for all medicine teams: ~$625,248
Conclusions There is a large amount of excess ordering of CBCs This results in high excess cost especially if projected to a year and even more when considering all medicine teams There should be more care in ordering CBCs and only ordering for indicated reasons.