The Trend of Current Cost Structure in the Selected Hospitals of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, 2011-2020

One of the important economic issues that arise due to limited resources and increasing costs in the health care system is the analysis of hospital costs. The aim of the present study was to investigate and compare the cost structure of the selected hospitals affiliated with Isfahan University of Medical Sciences from 2011 to 2020.

The present applied research is a descriptive type. A researcher-made checklist was used to collect the data. The cost data were obtained from accounting and financial department of each hospital. Then, the data verification process was carried out in cooperation with financial and accounting department of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences. The data were analyzed by using Microsoft Excel 2016.

The results showed an increasing trend in the total cost of hospitals. The cumulative cost structure of the selected hospitals during the years under Study showed that personnel costs accounted for 55.95% of the total cost (ranging from 46.40 to 70.93%). The costs of medicine and medical consumables, which had the highest share after the personnel costs, accounted for 19.76% of the total cost (ranging from 12.98 to 33.30%).

Identifying the cost structure provides a correct and evidence-based insight for planning, cost management and evaluation of hospital efficiency and paves the way for hospital officials to reduce hospital costs and improve the quality of health services. Consequently, this can form the basis for informed decision-making. Considering that in the hospitals under study, a significant share of the total cost was allocated to personnel costs and medicine and medical consumables, hospital officials can pay more attention to the management of these costs and prioritize them in their planning.