Making Healthcare Affordable – Bilirubin treatment example
US medical system is under financial strains with high cost associated with the doctor fee, hospitalization charges, high medical equipment cost, soaring medicine cost. A typical insurance premium for a 4 member family in United States is in the vicinity of $1000 ( give or take a hundred dollars). This is beyond the affordability for most of the middle and lower income US families. If their employer or the State do not provide assistance, this will simply mean the they will have to be without medical insurance.
On the macro level, a number of policy decisions need to be made to make health insurance more affordable for individuals, businesses and government. On Micro level, a number of small things can increase the cost efficacy of the treatment plan and reduce the cost of the treatment. In today’s blog I will write about how to reduce the cost of Bilirubin treatment in neonatals.
How is Bilirubin Treated for Neonatal
Noeborn kids remain at Hospitals typically for two days for the treatment of Bilirubin. Typical cost to the patient or the insurance companies vary from $3000 to $5000. The treatment itself is surprisingly simple. It needs just the ultra violet radiation in controlled and measure fashion for about 48 hours to treat most of the bilrubin patients.
How can the cost be reduced
The excessive cost is resulted because the patient need to be at the hospital for two days. The cost is escalated due to the stay which involves nursing, cleaning, food and lodging along with the medical treatment. All of this can be avoided by not requiring the patient to be admitted to the hospital. The patient should be handed over a portable ultra violet emission device alongwith a method to measure the bilirubin by himself, in the same way blood glucose is measured. The portable ultra violet device can be returned by the patient to the hospital at the end of the treatment. The patient should be instructed how to use the ultra violet emission device.
The method should be used for all non serious cases of the bilirubin. For all advanced cases of bilirubin, the patient should be hospitalized and the traditional method should be used.
A Low cost Ultraviolet LED Solution
Light emitting diodes (LEDs) operating in the 410 – 490 nm wavelength range (peak at 475 nm) have been developed. These gallium nitride(GaN)/sapphire LEDs can produce high irradiance with very low power requirements suitable in the ultraviolet spectrum. These LEDs emit ultra violet light within the peak absorption range of bilirubin.. They promise to be low cost, portable and have long operational lifespans.
Bilirubin Detection – Pathological Advancements
Current practices in pathalogical diagnosis of Bilburin requires a large volume of the blood sample from the patient. Several newer methods have been develped that will require smaller blood sample. These memethods acquisit the current signals produced from bilirubin by an electrochemical sensor. Requirement of the smaller blood sample is another research area that need investigation and implementation.