Sign Up Now
Get instant access to over 1 million+ study documents
OR
Already registered? click here to login
By creating your account, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and student honor code.
EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT COSTS: FIXED AND VARIABLE COSTS
Case 5.3: Costs of Care in the Emergency Department
What is an example of a fixed cost in an emergency department? A variable cost?
Fixed costs are costs that do not change with changes in output levels (Smith, 2013). In the emergency department, fixed costs would remain constant regardless of the number of patients. An example of fixed costs in the emergency department would be the monthly salary of permanent staff such as emergency nurse practitioners and physicians. The salary is a constant amount agreed upon at the start of the contract period and would be a standard amount regardless of the number of patients one treats in a given period. The facility incurs the cost even when no patients visit.
Conversely, variable costs are costs that change with changes in output or activity levels (Smith, 2013). They increase with increases in activity levels and vice versa. An example of a variable cost in the emergency department would be patient care supplies such as medications. The cost of medication is influenced by the number of patients in a given period. The cost increases when patient numbers rise and decreases when numbers decline. If there are no...…in lower average variable costs.
Thus, a fall in emergency department volumes would increase average fixed costs while decreasing average variable costs. The net effect on average total costs would depend on the extent of the increase in fixed costs and how fast variable costs fall as a result of the change in volume (Lee, 2019). If the increase in fixed costs is substantial, then a fall in volume will increase average costs unless variable costs can fall quickly enough to offset the increase in fixed costs (Lee, 2019). If variable costs do not fall quickly, then the increase in fixed costs will…
References
Lee, R. H. (2019). Economics for Healthcare Managers (4th ed.). Riverside, CA: American College of Healthcare.
Shim, J. K., & Siegel, J. G. (2008). Budgeting Basics and Beyond (3rd ed.). New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons.
Smith, W. (2013). Student Handbook to Economics: Entrepreneurship. New York, NY: Infobase Learning.
Ethical dilemma This essay will narrate a nurse’s ethical dilemma as experienced in a local emergency department. In addition, the paper will discuss the relevant codes of conduct and law and make recommendations based on the nurse’s ethical dilemma. The subject in this case is a 93-year-old Alzheimer patient who was by then in an extended care facility. As the ailment worsened, she became unable to eat or drink anything, and this
U.S. Handling of Pandemic-Level Mass Fatality Event A pandemic is classified as an event that takes place across a wide geographic area and has the capacity to affect an exceptionally high percentage of the population. A mass fatality event usually generates numerous casualties to an extent that clinical personnel, emergency services, and referral systems work collaboratively to offer adequate and timely response. The United States has experienced some pandemic-level mass fatality
Emergency Room Efficiency Improving Emergency Department Flow by Using a Provider in Triage Emergency room triage plays an essential role in the speed and quality of the emergency room departments. Triage represents only one small part of the process that determines quality of patient care. Emergency rooms can be crowded. Busy times are often unpredictable, making it difficult to avoid bottlenecks in the system. This has an affect on the amount of
Emergency Departments (EDs) have the highest levels of violence of any hospital units, and according to a 1994 survey, 97% or nurses in these reported verbal violence and 87% physical violence. All EDs have large numbers of uninsured patients, many of them with drug, alcohol of psychiatric problems, which increase the normal stress and anxiety of this environment and make violence far more likely. This problem is compounded by the
Hiring a Nurse Practitioner reduces wait times (overcrowding) in the Emergency Department estimation of the ED (Emergency department) compromise with care afforded to patients because of overcrowding from the perspective of the provider of services. /I researched literature and bonafide / authenticated texts that chose to: Study causation, impacts and resolution tactics aimed at ED crowding; Collected and analyzed data using established methods; specifically target the ED scenario and the day-to-day crowding
(Shactman; Altman, 2002) 4. Recommendations for Overcoming these Barriers: Some of the suggestions for overcoming these barriers are (i) appointment of a General Practitioner -- GP officers to work as a Liaison Officer between the ED and the community so that the communication is streamlined as well as processes of referral and feedback and development of clinical pathways. (ii) Expansion of community off-peak facilities, including the setting up of the capacity