Cost effectiveness of laboratory services at Zammit Clapp Hospital.

Abstract

Cost effectiveness of Laboratory Services at Zammit Clapp Hospital

Zammit Clapp Hospital is a 60 bed geriatric hospital for the treatment of acute cases of elderly patients mainly candidates for rehabilitation. Essential Services for Rehabilitation, such as Physiotherapy and Occupational therapy are included in the hospital facilities. The decision whether or not to set up Laboratory Services at Zammit Clapp Hospital fall in a grey area. It was decided, after some considerations, that a small laboratory be established catering for a selected number of laboratory tests. The clinical professionals welcomed this service as being more accessible and providing a quicker benefit to the patients. The costs of running this laboratory need however to be carefully explained and its real benefits measured by accounting statistics and auditing techniques. The alternatives of using the services at St Luke's Hospital, or at private laboratories in terms of cost and availability were investigated in a scientific manner. A new proposal by a comprehensive private clinical laboratory service (Health Science and the Environment Laboratory Services) was compared with the present available Systems. The project investigates the following systems: 1. The need of a Laboratory Service 2. Achieving the ideal Laboratory Service 3. Data Collection to establish the costs incurred over the year 1994 at Zammit Clapp Hospital for Laboratory Services 4. The Acquisition of a complete proposal from a private Laboratory for a comprehensive Laboratory Service for Zammit Clapp Hospital 5. Comparison of Cost Effectiveness 6. Recommendations Josef Camilleri May 1995