What Researchers Did
Researchers described a partnership between a Colorado community hospital and a military training site for emergent decompression sickness treatment and compared the cost of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in a hospital versus a standalone chamber.
What They Found
The community hospital treated approximately 50 decompression sickness patients from flight simulations between October 2003 and April 2015. The per-treatment cost for hyperbaric oxygen therapy was significantly lower in the hospital setting at $698 (assuming 1,000 treatments) compared to $95,380 at a standalone center (assuming 5 treatments).
What This Means for Canadian Patients
This study suggests that integrating hyperbaric oxygen therapy for decompression sickness into existing community hospitals could offer a more cost-effective treatment option. This approach could improve access to specialized care for Canadian patients requiring hyperbaric oxygen therapy, especially in regions where standalone facilities are not feasible.
Canadian Relevance
This study was conducted in the United States and has no direct Canadian connection.
Study Limitations
The cost analysis relies on specific assumptions regarding patient treatment volumes, which may limit the generalizability of the per-treatment cost comparison.