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Endoscopic ultrasound is a clinically valuable endoscopic platform.
A potential barrier to its widespread use is the modest reimbursement to the hospital, compared with that of standard endoscopy.
However, the downstream procedures generated by endoscopic ultrasound findings might offset its modest procedural reimbursement for a hospital or health care system.
Dr Matt Atkinson and colleagues from Ohio, USA found compared the number of hospital procedures that resulted from endoscopic ultrasound findings with those from colonoscopy findings.
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| Hospital charges from endoscopy were 1.9-fold greater than from colonoscopies |
| Clinical Gastroenterology & Hepatology |
The researchers compared the downstream hospital charges generated by endoscopic ultrasounds with those from colonoscopies.
The team retrospectively reviewed data from 920 consecutive endoscopic ultrasounds and 920 consecutive colonoscopies performed at University Hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio.
The research team determined the downstream procedures generated within 18 months of the index procedure.
Total hospital charges were determined for the index procedures, as well as all downstream surgeries, endoscopic procedures, and radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and interventional radiology procedures.
The research team found endoscopic ultrasounds led to a greater number of downstream procedures than colonoscopies.
Hospital charges for downstream procedures that arose from endoscopic ultrasounds were about 3-fold greater than those of colonoscopies.
Hospital charges that resulted from the 920 index endoscopic ultrasounds were 1.3-fold greater than those of the index colonoscopies.
The total hospital charges that arose from endoscopic ultrasounds were 1.9-fold greater than those of colonoscopies.
Dr Atkinson's team concluded, “Endoscopic ultrasounds generate greater downstream hospital charges than colonoscopies.”
“These downstream charges attenuate the higher procedure-related charges of colonoscopy for a hospital.”
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