What is cost effective care?

[LoveER01]

I am stuck on a question about cost effective care. I have several of my books with me but none explain it. What in the following scenarios constitutes cost effective care to a patient?

1. Providing palliative care to a terminally ill client.

2. Beginning discharge planning on admit.

3. Counseling clients on cigarette smoking cessation.

4. Educating a group of parents on the importance of childhood immunizations.

5. Performing a postop wound dressing change using clean gloves.

From what I kind of understand, 3 and 4 are cost effective, right? Because they are preventive measures that would hopefully prevent health complications which would prevent more money being spent on medical care...

I think 2 may be cost effective because a plan is being put in motion to help the patient get out of the hospital and hopefully keep the patient from another admit if planning is adequate.

I am saying no to 1 because they are already sick and all they can get is comfort care.

5, I am unsure. Clean gloves obviously will prevent as much contamination as possible... ??? Help!

[RN403, BSN, RN]

I agree with your rationales.

#1 is not cost effective to me because a terminally ill patient would need hospice care instead of palliative care if my understanding of the two is correct (hospice/palliative care nurses/anyone feel free to jump in if I am incorrect).

#5 I would see as cost effective because you are preventing infection and other complications by using clean gloves to change the dressing.

[Leonardsmom,LPN]

My thought would be using clean gloves to change a dressing change on a postoperative wound dressing. This would reduce the chance of infection, promoting quicker healing reducing the cost and time it would take to heal an infection. Numbers 3 and 4 would be part of educating a patient.

[NICUmiiki, DNP, NP]

I think they can all be rationalized as cost effective.

In addition to the answers above.

You would probably waste money trying to provide curative treatment to a terminal patient. Ex: surgery/chemo/radiation/inpatient hospitalization for a dying cancer patient versus just pain meds/home care to provide comfort.