Non-medical out-of-pocket expenses incurred by families during their child's hospitalization

Little is known about the nonmedical out of pocket expenses (NOOPEs) incurred by families of hospitalized children. The purpose of this study is to help nurses, other healthcare providers, hospital administrators, and policymakers better understand the NOOPEs incurred by families during their child's hospitalization. Parents of children (n = 50) who underwent orthopedic surgery at a major tertiary-care children's hospital reported all NOOPEs incurred during their child's hospitalization. Descriptive statistics and univariate and multiple logistic regression analyses were used to analyze the data. The total NOOPEs ranged from $17.00 to $4745.00 (M = $736.21) per hospitalization, with 2096 missed hours from work. Length of stay, gross family income, distance from the hospital, and Hollingshead score are significant predictors of expenses (F-ratio = 732.88, p < 0.001). Hospitalization is associated with numerous NOOPEs. Future research needs to investigate the total array of expenses to families.