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Cost of Carbon in the Total Cost of a Healthcare Procedure: Example of Micro-Costing Study in a French Setting

Author

Listed:
  • Paul-Simon Pugliesi

    (William Morey Hospital
    William Morey Hospital)

  • Hervé Frick

    (William Morey Hospital)

  • Stéphanie Guillot

    (William Morey Hospital)

  • Karine Ferrare

    (William Morey Hospital)

  • Catherine Renzullo

    (Pharmacy, William Morey Hospital)

  • Alexandre Benoist

    (William Morey Hospital)

  • Serge Ribes

    (William Morey Hospital)

  • Guillaume Beltramo

    (INSERM U1231
    Dijon University Hospital)

  • Thomas Maldiney

    (William Morey Hospital
    INSERM)

  • Romain Schiphorst

    (William Morey Hospital)

  • Caroline Abdul Malak

    (William Morey Hospital)

  • Adrien Bevand

    (William Morey Hospital)

  • Laurie Marrauld

    (University of Rennes, EHESP, CNRS, Inserm, Arènes – UMR 6051, RSMS (Health Services and Management Research) – U 1309)

  • Catherine Lejeune

    (CHU Dijon Bourgogne, Inserm, Université de Bourgogne, CIC 1432, Module Épidémiologie Clinique)

Abstract

Background Economic evaluation aims to compare the costs and results of health strategies to inform public decision making. Although sometimes suggested, until now no national evaluation agency has recommended formally incorporating the cost of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions generated by health interventions into the estimation of healthcare costs. Objective The objective of this study was to test and discuss the feasibility of estimating and including the contribution of GHG emissions cost to the total cost of a surgical intervention, with the example of robot-assisted total knee arthroplasty (RTA), using a micro-costing approach. Methods The study was conducted in June 2022 at the William Morey Hospital (France). Data regarding all of the resources (labor, medical equipment, consumables), as well as energy consumption, staff commuting and waste treatment were collected and valued from the hospital point of view. Greenhouse gas emissions were valued using a cost-effectiveness approach. Several sensitivity analyses were performed. Results The mean cost per patient of an RTA was estimated to be €4755.65, of which €152.64 (3.21 %) would be attributable to GHG emissions. The contribution of GHG emissions in the overall cost of a health intervention was highly dependent on the convention used for the price of carbon. Conclusion Despite persistent theoretical and practical challenges, adding the estimation of GHG emission costs in the economic evaluation of health interventions may provide institutional decision makers with information that allows them to allocate the public healthcare resources more efficiently.

Suggested Citation

  • Paul-Simon Pugliesi & Hervé Frick & Stéphanie Guillot & Karine Ferrare & Catherine Renzullo & Alexandre Benoist & Serge Ribes & Guillaume Beltramo & Thomas Maldiney & Romain Schiphorst & Caroline Abdu, 2025. "Cost of Carbon in the Total Cost of a Healthcare Procedure: Example of Micro-Costing Study in a French Setting," Applied Health Economics and Health Policy, Springer, vol. 23(2), pages 265-275, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:aphecp:v:23:y:2025:i:2:d:10.1007_s40258-024-00933-w
    DOI: 10.1007/s40258-024-00933-w
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. S. Tan & F. Rutten & B. Ineveld & W. Redekop & L. Hakkaart-van Roijen, 2009. "Comparing methodologies for the cost estimation of hospital services," The European Journal of Health Economics, Springer;Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsökonomie (DGGÖ), vol. 10(1), pages 39-45, February.
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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health
    • Q52 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Pollution Control Adoption and Costs; Distributional Effects; Employment Effects

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