Poster 14: Cost savings of pulmonary vest therapy

Objectives: To determine cost savings from using pulmonary vest therapy to prevent hospitalizations related to pneumonia. Design: Quantitative research using before-during treatment data. Setting: 2 pediatric skilled nursing facilities for children with severe cerebral palsy (CP). Interventions: Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures: The average hospitalization for pneumonia was 5 days, 4 of which were in the intensive care unit (ICU). The daily hospitalization rates were obtained from the business offices of 3 regional hospitals with pediatric ICU units that serve our patients. Results: During our 1-year study, the number of hospitalizations was decreased by 10. The average hospitalization charge was $8225. Thus, the cost savings for 10 hospitalizations was $82,550. The cost of a vest therapy unit was $15,000 and a total of 3 units were used. The vest therapy units continue to be in use for the third year, without mechanical failure or maintenance requirements. Conclusion: In the first year alone, there was a very significant cost savings. It should be noted that these sums do not include hospital laboratory testing, pharmacy costs, or physician costs, and so significantly underestimate the actual savings.