The discussions regarding cost/benefit for lactation support and services has
been interesting.   If any of you are doing any kind of cost analysis or study
in the area, please share the information with me.  I am working with the
business office of the hospital system in which I work on a preliminary analysis
of the benefit to the system of providing comprehensive lactation support and
services.   If this analysis is positive, more detailed work will be done.

The cost of providing lactation support and services and the benefit of such to
the system will be examined.  We are considering how to look at this in the
current dynamic climate.  Do we look at system benefit from the traditional
perspective of profit from illness/problem?  Or do we look at benefit from the
emerging managed care perspective---i.e. illness as a system cost rather than
system revenue source?  Or is there some way to examine the services to combine
the two since that is where we are now. For some populations, the system makes
money when there is a need for service.  For capitated populations, the system
makes money when there is no need for service.

All the ramble to see if anyone else is doing this and/or if anyone has any
figures, ideas, insights to add to the puzzle.  The task is complicated not only
by the changing environment but also by the fact that we do not have any of our
own figures regarding bf and illness.  We are relying on composites from the
lit.

It's an exciting time!

Love,
Pardee
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