@article{Cicero_Colaceci_Amata_Spandonaro_2022, title={Cost analysis of planned out-of-hospital births in Italy}, volume={93}, url={https://mattioli1885journals.com/index.php/actabiomedica/article/view/12923}, DOI={10.23750/abm.v93i4.12923}, abstractNote={<p><em>Background and aim: </em>In Italy, the main birthplace is a hospital, and only a few women choose an out-of-hospital setting. This study assessed the costs related to delivery in different birthplaces in Italy.</p>
<p><em>Methods:</em> The cost analysis considered direct and amortizable costs associated with mother-child care in physiological conditions. An analysis of the hospital births considered the Diagnoses-Related Groups 373 and 391. To estimate the cost of the births assisted privately by freelance midwives, an evaluation based on an experts’ opinion was carried out.</p>
<p><em>Results:</em> Childbirth hospital care in Italy amounts to € 1832.00, and birth in an out-of-hospital setting accredited with the National Health System has a full cost of € 1345.19 in the ‘maternity home’ and € 909.60 at home. The average cost of the birth in ‘private maternity homes’ amounted to € 3260.00, while at-home births amounted to € 2910.00.</p>
<p><em>Conclusions</em>: Any accreditation of out-of-hospital settings by the NHS would considerably reduce the waste of economic resources compared to hospital childbirth.</p>}, number={4}, journal={Acta Biomedica Atenei Parmensis}, author={Cicero, Roberta Vittoria and Colaceci, Sofia and Amata, Rosanna and Spandonaro, Federico}, year={2022}, month={Aug.}, pages={e2022227} }