Congenital heart disease: interrelation between German diagnoses-related groups system and Aristotle complexity score.

摘要

Modern medicine can provide more care than society can afford. The cost of medical care is of worldwide concern. There is increasing pressure on doctors and hospitals to be ever more cost-effective, although the term 'cost-effective' is ill defined and biased by one's perspective. Too often, cost-effectiveness is defined by the short-term goal of restricting the cost of in-hospital care. However, in-hospital care is only a means to an end; an end that is the long-term survival, health and well-being of our patients.