Do Clinical Guidelines Reduce Costs for Clinicians?
Author Information
Author(s): Kosimbei George, Hanson Kara, English Mike
Primary Institution: KEMRI/Wellcome Trust and School of Economics, Kenyatta University
Hypothesis
Can evidence-based clinical guidelines change clinician-dependent costs in hospitals?
Conclusion
The review found that 10 out of 11 interventions successfully reduced clinician-dependent costs.
Supporting Evidence
- 10 out of 11 interventions were successful in reducing costs.
- Interventions included training and guidelines to change clinician behavior.
- Most studies reported financial savings ranging from 6% to 57%.
Takeaway
This study looked at whether following clinical guidelines can help doctors save money when treating patients. Most of the time, it does!
Methodology
The review included structured searches of databases and assessed the methodological quality of selected articles.
Potential Biases
There is a risk of publication bias as studies may only be published if they show cost savings.
Limitations
The review may be biased as it only included studies likely to show cost reductions.
Participant Demographics
The studies included varied settings, with most conducted in high-income countries.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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