Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT: Objective
To determine the cost-effectiveness of building and maintaining a dedicated pediatric operating room (OR) in Uganda from the societal perspective.Background
Despite the heavy burden of pediatric surgical disease in low-income countries, definitive treatment is limited as surgical infrastructure is inadequate to meet the need, leading to preventable morbidity and mortality in children.Methods
In this economic model, we used a decision tree template to compare the intervention of a dedicated pediatric OR in Uganda for a year versus the absence of a pediatric OR. Costs were included from the government, charity, and patient perspectives. OR and ward case-log informed epidemiological and patient outcomes data, and measured cost per disability adjusted life year averted and cost per life saved. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) was calculated between the intervention and counterfactual scenario. Costs are reported in 2015 US$ and inflated by 5.5%.Findings
In Uganda, the implementation of a dedicated pediatric OR has an ICER of $37.25 per disability adjusted life year averted or $3321 per life saved, compared with no existing operating room. The ICER is well below multiple cost-effectiveness thresholds including one times the country's gross domestic product per capita ($694). The ICER remained robust under 1-way and probabilistic sensitivity analyses.Conclusion
Our model ICER suggests that the construction and maintenance of a dedicated pediatric operating room in sub-Saharan Africa is very-cost effective if hospital space and personnel pre-exist to staff the facility. This supports infrastructure implementation for surgery in sub-Saharan Africa as a worthwhile investment.
SUBMITTER: Yap A
PROVIDER: S-EPMC6752983 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Feb
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Yap Ava A Cheung Maija M Muzira Arlene A Healy James J Kakembo Nasser N Kisa Phyllis P Cunningham David D Youngson George G Sekabira John J Yaesoubi Reza R Ozgediz Doruk D
Annals of surgery 20210201 2
<h4>Objective</h4>To determine the cost-effectiveness of building and maintaining a dedicated pediatric operating room (OR) in Uganda from the societal perspective.<h4>Background</h4>Despite the heavy burden of pediatric surgical disease in low-income countries, definitive treatment is limited as surgical infrastructure is inadequate to meet the need, leading to preventable morbidity and mortality in children.<h4>Methods</h4>In this economic model, we used a decision tree template to compare the ...[more]