Makie T. Applying a Medical Budget System to Biostatistics Clinics. Journal of Medical Systems 28(5):469-474, October 2004

[Eugene Garfield]

Toshio Makie : makie at musc.edu

NOTE:
This paper is not at all bibliometric but provides an interesting
perspective on use of statistical methods in medicine.  The estimated value
of an academic paper is $300,000.  "Furthermore, not all papers are of equal
value.  The accurate valuation of an academic paper requires incorporating
an "Impact Factor" based on the reputation of the journal and the number of
citations.

The results of this simulation show that a biostatistics clinic is
economically feasible based on the assumptions made in this study.  Through
such consultations, the knowledge of the most experienced medical doctors
could be efficiently utilized.  This would benefit both medical doctors and
biostatisticians.  Moreover, the presence of an on-site biostatistics clinic
in a hospital also benefits patients and hospital administrators through
consultation aimed at improving the quality of their medical treatment,
based on statistics."



TITLE : Applying a medical budget system to biostatistics clinics

AUTHOR:  Makie T

SOURCE:  Journal of Medical Systems 28(5):469-474 October 2004.

ADDRESS: T. Makie, Medical University of S. Carolina, Dept. Biometry &
Epidemiology, 135 Cannon Street, Suite 302G, POB 250835, Charleston, SC 29425

ABSTRACT:

Biostatistics are indispensable in clinical medicine because doctors
increasingly need to publish and understand medical articles that use
statistical methods. An opportunity is needed for medical doctors to
interact with biostatisticians on statistical issues. This paper's objective
is to determine how much it costs to establish a biostatistics clinic and
what revenue is required to run the clinic. A balance sheet was used to
outline the revenue and expenses of a statistics clinic using a simple
method introduced by the author. Expenses for personnel, material, and
tenancy costs were 41.9, 18.1, and 25.1% of the total, respectively. To run,
the biostatistics clinic required 200 research design engagements, 1200 h of
hourly consultation, and 6600 h of data processing. To acquire scientific
grants, each of four biostatisticians had to write one academic paper
annually. The results show that a biostatistics clinic could be managed
profitably based on the assumptions in this study.