The financial impact of hospital-acquired conditions

This article investigates the financial impact of the Centers for MedicareMedicaid Services' hospital-acquired conditions (HACs).Data from 2007-2008 was analyzed using New York State Department of Health's Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System (SPARCS), using regression analysis and descriptive statistics for each condition.Of 4,853,800 patient discharges, the development of decubitus ulcers was the most prevalent condition, associated with an annual cost of nearly $680 million and 376,546 hospital days. Mediastinitis after Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG) had the highest marginal impact for both length of stay (LOS) and total costs, but this condition had a relatively low frequency. Extrapolation of the results suggests that HACs represent a major burden to US hospitals.HACs have a significant financial impact on the US health care system. Hospitals would benefit from better understanding the impact and frequency of these conditions in order to best target preventative strategies.