1. Decubitis ulcers — $536,900 per hospital. A bedsore is the most prevalent HAC and the second most expensive per case, costing an average of $9,200 to treat.
2. Postoperative pulmonary embolism and deep-vein thrombosis — $564,000 per hospital. These two related HACs require $15,500 more in care per patient, making them the most expensive per case.
3. Accidental punctures and lacerations — $248,100 per hospital. This is the fifth most costly HAC per case, averaging $8,300.
4. Post-operative respiratory failure — $261,000 per hospital. This was the third most expensive per case, at $21,900.
5. Infections due to medical care —$252,600 per hospital. This is the fourth most expensive HAC per case, at $24,500.
Combating HACs. Virtually all these HACs are preventable by following best practices, analyzing root causes and engaging clinicians in improving processes, said Shelley Burns, director of knowledge management at HMC. “With the proper focus on how physicians or DRGs are actually the drivers of these off-quality results, big changes can happen,” she said. While combating HACs requires education and special patient assessments in some cases, this is a relatively small investment to save hundreds of thousands of dollars annually as well as some patients’ lives, she said.
