– We see that we have a high cost trend and this is a problem for the entire healthcare system. Then maybe we can learn from each other how to distribute resources in a better way, which of course is the ulterior motive. But also, we’re becoming more mindful so we’re putting resources in the right areas, says Ylva Obard, chief financial officer at Academic Hospital.
It has recently taken the first step towards a ‘modular collaboration’ between Akademika, Sahlgrenska University Hospital Gothenburg and University Hospital Skien.
– We’re just in the starting pits. We’ve just had time to determine that there is interest and we’ve also booked some meetings in the future to see what areas might be interesting to move forward and delve into.
The question about participation was also put to Karolinska University Hospital, which has not yet responded. Ylva Opard has also turned to the Swedish Municipalities and Regions, SKR, with the question of whether the organization could consider coordinating a project with all seven university hospitals. SKR has given a positive response and is now looking at interest from other hospitals.
According to an issue being addressed in the Akademiska Hospital Board at the beginning of next week, the purpose of the benchmarking collaboration is, among other things, “to obtain improved analyzes and comparisons regarding the distribution of resources for each operational area.” Resources in this case mean money.
Do we have a model for how the money is distributed? Is it the one who shouts the loudest that gets the most, or do we have facts behind it? Ylva Obard says the money is then used to buy other resources, such as staff.
One hospital will get the most money, and another hospital will get the least money per work area, so how do you know which one is better?
– We can have different ambitions there. We can have higher plastic surgery aspirations because that’s where we want to put resources, but there has to be an idea behind it.
Ylva Opard explains that the new system of highly specialized national care means that some hospitals will have higher costs in certain areas. In Akademiska’s case, for example, it would be a conscious choice to spend more money on plastic surgery and other activities associated with the hospital’s mission regarding burn care.
So isn’t there a risk that the race becomes down and everyone adjusts to which hospital spends the least amount of money for each field of activity?
– No, we must understand how we distribute resources and that there is awareness.
As for the economic forecasts, they are very bleak. Skåne University Hospital has been budgeted for a zero result, but the latest “determined earnings forecast” indicates that the hospital will run a deficit of SEK 700 million for the full year. Sahlgrenska University Hospital’s latest forecast for the full year indicates a shortfall of SEK 225 million. In Akademiska’s budget, the year 2022 was supposed to end at minus 200 million crowns, in the latest forecasts, the red figures were half a billion crowns.
How dangerous is it?
– It’s millions of crowns. In percentage terms, says Ylva Obard, it’s a budget skew of 2.7 percent.
Lakartidningen.se
(updated on 2022-09-23)
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