Cost of Positron Emission Tomography: Method for Determining Indirect Cost Technical rept. no. 5

摘要

This paper describes methods of determining the indirect cost associated with Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scans and the manufacture of 18-F-Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG), the radioactive isotope used in PET scans. We surveyed sites participating in the Veteran's Administration (VA) Cooperative Study 27, 'FDG- PET Imaging in Patients with Solitary Pulmonary Nodules.' Site managers were asked for information about the direct costs of operating their department, including the acquisition cost and expected lifetime of capital equipment, the amount of space occupied, the cost of supplies and repairs, and the number and type of staff involved in operating the PET scanner and FDG lab. We did not ask site managers to report the indirect costs associated with their department. Such costs include administrative support, utilities, engineering, housekeeping, and supply services. We estimated the indirect costs by analyzing VA and Medicare financial data to calculate an indirect cost ratio. We multiplied the direct cost estimate obtained from the survey times this ratio, to find the indirect costs associated with PET scanner operation and FDG synthesis.