Direct Hospital Cost Determinants Following Hip and Knee Arthroplasty

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Total joint arthroplasty (TJA) places a significant economic burden on health care resources. This cohort study examines the costs associated with arthroplasty in 827 patients undergoing hip and knee TJA from January 2011 to June 2012 at a single center in Melbourne, Australia. METHODS: Data included total inpatient, outpatient, and readmissions costs in the 30 days following TJA. Factors associated with cost were modeled using negative binomial regression and extrapolated to the Australian population. RESULTS: The base cost (i.e., the cost for a patient with no modifying factors) over the first 30 days following TJA was $13,060 Australian (AU) (interquartile range $12,126..