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  • October 2023
  • Article
  • Medical Care

Health System Perspective on Cost for Delivering a Decision Aid for Prostate Cancer Using Time-Driven Activity-Based Costing

By: David R. Ho, Robert S. Kaplan, Jonathan Bergman, David F. Penson, Benjamin Waterman, Kristin C. Williams, Jefersson Villatoro, Lorna Kwan and Christopher S. Saigal
  • | Pages:8
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Abstract

Previsit decision aids (DAs) have been shown to improve decisional quality. But the cost to deploy a DA has not been previously estimated. We interviewed or observed relevant personnel at three institutions that had implemented DA programs for men with prostate cancer. We used time-driven activity-based costing to estimate cost. Total average costs (USD) per patient were $38 (UCLA), $60 (Olive View-UCLA), and $42 (Vanderbilt), respectively, with labor costs being the largest component. Electronic health record (EHR) integration streamlined DA delivery efficiency and produced substantial cost savings. DA use was also associated with shorter clinic visit length and high levels of decision quality.

Keywords

Time-Driven Activity-Based Costing; Health Care and Treatment; Cost Accounting; Health Industry

Citation

Ho, David R., Robert S. Kaplan, Jonathan Bergman, David F. Penson, Benjamin Waterman, Kristin C. Williams, Jefersson Villatoro, Lorna Kwan, and Christopher S. Saigal. "Health System Perspective on Cost for Delivering a Decision Aid for Prostate Cancer Using Time-Driven Activity-Based Costing." Medical Care 61, no. 10 (October 2023): 681–688.
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About The Author

Robert S. Kaplan

Accounting and Management
→More Publications

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More from the Authors
  • Dell Med: Transforming Care Delivery & Payment By: Robert S. Kaplan, David N. Bernstein and Mary L. Witkowski
  • Innovations in Evaluating Ambulatory Costs of Cystic Fibrosis Care: A Comparative Study Across Multidisciplinary Care Centers in Ireland and the United States By: Emma Brady, Ryan C. Perkins, Kate Cullen, Gregory S. Sawicki, Robert S. Kaplan and Gerardine Doyle
  • A Better Way to Measure Social Impact By: Robert S. Kaplan and Constance Spitzer
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