COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS OF THE INTRODUCTION OF MP-MRI GUIDED BIOPSIES IN CROATIA

Abstract

Continuous increase of the cost of medical services around the world has become a major topic in the world today. Multiparametric prostate MRI has recently become a new standard in prostate cancer detection, especially in repeated biopsy settings. Th e method, although superior in cancer detection rates, is costly and requires additional training and equipment. Th e purpose of our study was to determine the costs and benefi ts that arise when introducing this method in prostate cancer diagnostics. Repeated prostate biopsy was performed in 101 consecutive patients in the period from 1 October 2016 to 1 July 2017. Patients were divided into two groups based on whether prostate mp-MRI was performed or not. Th e prices of specifi c procedures were obtained from the billing service
of the Sestre milosrdnice University Hospital Center and patient models were created to determine financial costs and benefi ts. The cost of the entire diagnostic process per patient in the non-MRI group was HRK 1.931,05 and HRK 1.848,42 in the mpMRI group, or 4.28% less. Prostate mpMRI and subsequent mpMRI guided biopsies can reduce the overall cost in prostate cancer diagnostics
despite the procedure itself being an additional cost. Th is is achieved by omitting prostate biopsies in patients with low malignancy risk.