The average cost for anesthesia units is 14% higher than it was a year ago, according to the Modern Healthcare/ECRI Institute Technology Price Index.
The TPI index looks at monthly and annual price data for about 30 supply and capital items purchased by hospitals and other healthcare providers, based on three-month rolling averages.
The average cost for a basic anesthesia unit is $45,884, falling in the middle of the expected cost range of $40,000 to $50,000. Unit prices rose 2.8% from February to March. The units are used during surgery to dispense medications and control a patient's consciousness level.
Though added options such as patient-monitoring systems or different gas monitors can boost the technology's cost, the overall market for anesthesia workplaces is consistent and has reported few changes, said Michael Argentieri, the ECRI Institute's vice president of market development.
“The mix of products—simple to advanced—has not changed over the last several years,” he added.
GE Healthcare and Dräger, based in Lubeck, Germany, remain the two dominant marketers of anesthesia units in the U.S., making up about 94% of the market for the hospitals that supply data to the ECRI Institute.
Argentieri noted that there are “no changes expected in pricing of these units.”
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