Hospital charges generated by Certified Nurse Midwives' clients

A study was done to present information about maternity hospital costs generated by two types of health care providers. The purpose ws to provide descriptive data on categories of hospital charges generated for normal maternity patients and to compare these charges between Certified Nurse-Midwives and a variety of physician providers. The researcher utilized the billing records of two groups of maternity patients who delivered at a tertiary care center in Salt Lake City, Utah. The sample consisted of 46 CNM patients and 45 physician provider patients. The subjects delivered between January 1979 and July 1980. The subjects were chosen from the Obstetrical Department delivery log. Billing record was examined and categories of charges were identified. Computer analysis of the data included frequencies, descriptive statistics, and t-test. The results of the study produced categories of hospital maternity costs that were examined to determine the charges included in a normal hospital maternity stay. There was a significant difference in the mean total hospital bill between the CNM and physician provider group. The mean hospital bill for the CNM patients was $114 less than the mean hospital bill for the physician provider patients. This difference was primarily due to short mean length of stay for the CNM patients. The findings indicated that CNM patient had similar outcomes with a lower hospital bill.