Cost containment in eye care.

Voluntary eye hospitals committed to serving the community must understand the reality of cost escalation due to inflation, advancements in medical technology and changing expectations of staff and patients. However, these costs are often not matched by the patients’ paying capacity. While increasing income, through increased user fees or donations which are financial options that will be considered, this article will focus on cost containment. Conditions for Effective Cost Control Though cost containment is influenced by the health care systems that exist, certain organisational conditions have to be in place for them to be effective. The leadership has a strong role in this. The organisational leadership must be within the eye care system and be available to the organisation whenever required (as opposed to hospitals run by Government or Religious Organisations wherein the leadership is often outside the hospital system and not readily available). Delayed or inappropriate decisions tend to increase costs and inefficiency. It is also important that the leadership promotes a culture of cost consciousness. Standard clinical and administrative protocols are necessary to institute and review cost containment measures without affecting quality, productivity or patient satisfaction. The first table lists the various factors that influence costs.