Cost awareness of radiological studies among doctors at Universitas Academic Hospital in Bloemfontein, South Africa
Background: South Africa has high healthcare expenses. Improving cost-consciousness could decrease government expenditure on healthcare. Objectives: To determine cost awareness of radiological studies among doctors at a tertiary hospital. The objective was met by assessing the accuracy of cost esti...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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AOSIS
2021-09-01
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| Series: | South African Journal of Radiology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://sajr.org.za/index.php/sajr/article/view/2188 |
| _version_ | 1819127810475687936 |
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| author | Khanyisa N. Mrwetyana Jacques Janse van Rensburg Gina Joubert |
| author_facet | Khanyisa N. Mrwetyana Jacques Janse van Rensburg Gina Joubert |
| author_sort | Khanyisa N. Mrwetyana |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: South Africa has high healthcare expenses. Improving cost-consciousness could decrease government expenditure on healthcare.
Objectives: To determine cost awareness of radiological studies among doctors at a tertiary hospital. The objective was met by assessing the accuracy of cost estimation according to the level of training and speciality, whether participants had received prior education/training related to cost awareness and if they had a desire to learn more about the cost of radiological imaging.
Method: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in six clinical departments at Universitas Academic Hospital using an anonymous questionnaire that determined doctors’ cost awareness of five radiological studies. Each radiological study was answered using six different cost ranges, with one correct option. Costs were based on the Department of Health’s 2019 Uniform Patients Fee Schedule (UPFS).
Results: In total, 131 (67.2%) of 195 questionnaires distributed to registrars and consultants were returned. Overall, low accuracy of cost estimation was observed, with 45.2% of the participants choosing only incorrect options. No participant estimated all five costs correctly. Only the Internal Medicine clinicians demonstrated a significant difference between registrars and consultants for the number of correct answers (median 0 and 1, respectively) (p = 0.04). No significant differences were found between specialities stratified by registrars/consultants. Most participants (88.6%) would like to learn about imaging costs. Only 2.3% of the participants had received prior education/training related to cost awareness of radiological studies.
Conclusion: Doctors were consistently inaccurate in estimating the cost of radiological studies. Educating doctors about the cost of radiological imaging could have a positive effect on healthcare expenditure. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-22T08:17:51Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b93c2c0740874a189a96366dc15a2cb4 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1027-202X 2078-6778 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-22T08:17:51Z |
| publishDate | 2021-09-01 |
| publisher | AOSIS |
| record_format | Article |
| series | South African Journal of Radiology |
| spelling | doaj.art-b93c2c0740874a189a96366dc15a2cb42022-12-21T18:32:50ZengAOSISSouth African Journal of Radiology1027-202X2078-67782021-09-01251e1e610.4102/sajr.v25i1.21881159Cost awareness of radiological studies among doctors at Universitas Academic Hospital in Bloemfontein, South AfricaKhanyisa N. Mrwetyana0Jacques Janse van Rensburg1Gina Joubert2Department of Clinical Imaging Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Free State, BloemfonteinDepartment of Clinical Imaging Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Free State, BloemfonteinDepartment of Biostatistics, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Free State, BloemfonteinBackground: South Africa has high healthcare expenses. Improving cost-consciousness could decrease government expenditure on healthcare. Objectives: To determine cost awareness of radiological studies among doctors at a tertiary hospital. The objective was met by assessing the accuracy of cost estimation according to the level of training and speciality, whether participants had received prior education/training related to cost awareness and if they had a desire to learn more about the cost of radiological imaging. Method: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in six clinical departments at Universitas Academic Hospital using an anonymous questionnaire that determined doctors’ cost awareness of five radiological studies. Each radiological study was answered using six different cost ranges, with one correct option. Costs were based on the Department of Health’s 2019 Uniform Patients Fee Schedule (UPFS). Results: In total, 131 (67.2%) of 195 questionnaires distributed to registrars and consultants were returned. Overall, low accuracy of cost estimation was observed, with 45.2% of the participants choosing only incorrect options. No participant estimated all five costs correctly. Only the Internal Medicine clinicians demonstrated a significant difference between registrars and consultants for the number of correct answers (median 0 and 1, respectively) (p = 0.04). No significant differences were found between specialities stratified by registrars/consultants. Most participants (88.6%) would like to learn about imaging costs. Only 2.3% of the participants had received prior education/training related to cost awareness of radiological studies. Conclusion: Doctors were consistently inaccurate in estimating the cost of radiological studies. Educating doctors about the cost of radiological imaging could have a positive effect on healthcare expenditure.https://sajr.org.za/index.php/sajr/article/view/2188cost awarenessradiological studiesimagingestimationaccuracy |
| spellingShingle | Khanyisa N. Mrwetyana Jacques Janse van Rensburg Gina Joubert Cost awareness of radiological studies among doctors at Universitas Academic Hospital in Bloemfontein, South Africa South African Journal of Radiology cost awareness radiological studies imaging estimation accuracy |
| title | Cost awareness of radiological studies among doctors at Universitas Academic Hospital in Bloemfontein, South Africa |
| title_full | Cost awareness of radiological studies among doctors at Universitas Academic Hospital in Bloemfontein, South Africa |
| title_fullStr | Cost awareness of radiological studies among doctors at Universitas Academic Hospital in Bloemfontein, South Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | Cost awareness of radiological studies among doctors at Universitas Academic Hospital in Bloemfontein, South Africa |
| title_short | Cost awareness of radiological studies among doctors at Universitas Academic Hospital in Bloemfontein, South Africa |
| title_sort | cost awareness of radiological studies among doctors at universitas academic hospital in bloemfontein south africa |
| topic | cost awareness radiological studies imaging estimation accuracy |
| url | https://sajr.org.za/index.php/sajr/article/view/2188 |
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