Hospitals Feel Weight of Treating Severely Obese; Novation Survey: Hospitals Face Additional Costs to Treat Larger Patients 12/16/2003
From: Kristin Lucido of Novation, 972-581-5116 or klucido@novationco.com IRVING, Texas, Dec. 16 -- Hospitals around the country are being forced to buy specialized equipment and in some cases even remodel their facilities to cope with the growing number of severely obese patients, according to a survey of hospital purchasing executives. The survey by Novation, the largest group purchasing organization for hospitals and health care institutions, found that hospitals are seeing more severely obese (overweight by at least 100 pounds) patients than ever before. Most of the respondents to the survey said these patients are having an effect on how their organizations accommodate other patients and hospital visitors. Some hospitals estimate additional costs associated with treating or accommodating the severely obese can reach up to $500,000 per year per institution. "That's a dramatic statistic," said Jody Hatcher, senior vice president of Novation. "We are finding that hospitals across the country are buying more large-size beds, larger blood pressure cuffs, wider, reinforced wheelchairs and larger versions of other basic supplies to adjust to patient needs. It's also a worker safety issue. If hospitals don't have the right type of equipment, transporting or moving obese patients could lead to injury of hospital personnel. Given the existing nursing shortage, having a nurse out with a hurt back would create additional burdens for the health care organization, so hospitals are looking at this issue seriously." A typical example is Wausau Hospital in Wausau, Wis., where administrators say they spent an additional $200,000 this year to remodel rooms, order special equipment and train staff to deal with a growing number of obese patients. "We've had to buy special, longer surgical gloves and even needles and syringes," said Kent Demien, director of materials management at Wausau. "Standard equipment becomes obsolete on many of our larger patients." He also added that in the last two years, the hospital's bariatric department has grown from one surgeon to four, although the special supply needs extend to every corner of the hospital where obese patients could be. The growing number of obese patients drives up costs in non- clinical areas, too. Demien said many patients or hospital visitors are simply too heavy for a standard, wall-mounted toilet, which can accommodate patients up to 300 pounds. The standard wall-mounted toilets cost $350, but the hospital is looking to replace them with sturdier pedestal commodes priced at $750, which can hold up to 2,000 pounds. "This is a new trend we're seeing among the 1,400 VHA and UHC hospitals we serve," Hatcher said. "We're working on ways to bring these costs down through our purchasing agreements, programs and services." The federal Centers for Disease Control has estimated that care for overweight and obese patients costs an average of 37 percent more than for people of normal weight, adding an average of $732 to the annual medical bill of every American. The Novation survey polled administrators from 69 hospitals, representing small, rural hospitals and large urban systems, scattered in different markets around the country. It focused on areas of economic impact: the effect on physical facilities, patient care and procedures, and other patients. "It's important to note that this survey was not designed to produce exact numbers on how the severely obese are affecting hospitals," Hatcher said. "But it clearly shows that this is a serious challenge, and one that is having an increasing financial impact on health care organizations." In the survey, hospitals were asked to answer eight questions: -- Has your hospital seen more severely obese patients in the last year than ever before? (80 percent of the hospitals responding to the survey said yes.) -- What specific equipment or supplies has your hospital had to purchase to accommodate larger patients? (The most commonly cited items were beds, wheelchairs, gowns, and blood pressure cuffs.) -- Have you remodeled physical facilities to accommodate obese patients? (17 percent said yes.) -- Do the costs incurred in treating obese patients increase the cost of health care for other patients? (53 percent said yes.) -- Estimate how much the hospital has been impacted financially by the growing number of severely obese patients. (The range was between $3,500 and $500,000 annually.) -- Estimate how much more a seriously obese patient might spend on a hospital visit versus a patient of average weight. (Range was between $500 and $10,000 per visit.) -- Has your hospital introduced any changes in patient procedures to accommodate an increased number of obese patients? (41 percent said yes.) -- How much has your hospital been affected financially by the changes in patient procedures? (Responses ranged from $5,000 to $220,000.) Novation, the nation's leading group purchasing organization, currently offers more than 800 of the most widely-used bariatric products in its bariatric portfolio. Novation undertook the survey to gain a better understanding of the challenges that obese patients create for hospitals. The information will be used to help Novation modify or research new cost-reduction opportunities that will help hospitals serve the obese population in the safest yet most economical way. For a full copy of the survey, "Obese Patient Care Survey Market Research Report," contact Kristin Lucido at 972-581-5116 or klucido@novationco.com. ------ About Novation Based in Irving, Texas, Novation serves the purchasing needs of more than 2,400 members and affiliates of VHA and UHC. These health care organizations purchased nearly $20 billion in medical supplies in 2002 through Novation contracts. For more information, visit http://www.novationco.com. SOURCE: Novation |