DRG's and cost/efficacy indicators in nephrology and dialysis. Results at a hospital division

The Diagnosis Related Groups (DRGs) classification system correlates hospital performance with their relative costs and encourages more efficient productive processes. We report the following parameters: a) the distribution of hospital discharges according to the Major Diagnostic Categories (MDCs) and DRGs; b) the relationship between mean length of stay and threshold values; c) economic analysis of the cost-reimbursement pay-off. The results showed that 71.3% of DRGs belonged to nephro-urological MDC 11 and 28.7% in other internal MDCs (mainly involving cardiac and respiratory system). Of the latter, 67.7% were utilized for dialysis and transplant patients and kidney donors. In MDC 11 the most common DRGs were: the surgical DRG 315, produced by the vascular accesses for hemodialysis and by insertion of Tenckoff catheter for peritoneal dialysis, DRG 316 by cases of acute and chronic renal failure, DRG 332 by biopsy-proven glomerulonephritides. The length of stay was most commonly within range of one-third of threshold value for specific DRG; there was a low percentage of one-day stays and outlier cases. The economic analysis demonstrated that mean daily reimbursement sum was 590,714 ITL. Analysis of the overall costs yielded a mean daily cost of 455,838 ITL. In conclusion, quality indicators show that, appropriately, our specialist activity is largely devoted to the diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic nephropathies and complications following dialysis and renal transplant.