Table 2 Examples of calculating the costs of personnel time devoted to a quality improvement programme.
| Year | Personnel | Hourly wage + fringe/ opportunity cost of personnel | Specific activities undertaken | Hours/week spent (not including overtime) | Total costs/week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Licensed practical nurse | $14.00 | Planning QI activities, patient registry maintenance, attending meetings | 20 | $14.00×20 h = $280 |
| 2002 | $14.42 | Same | 25 | $14.42×25 h = $360.50 | |
| 2003 | $14.85 | Same | 20 | $14.85×20 h = $297 | |
| 2001 | Family practice physician (general practitioner) | 53.92/visit×4 visits/h = $215.68 | Planning QI activities, patient registry maintenance, attending meetings, writing grants | 0.46 | $215.68×0.46 h = $99.21 |
| 2002 | 60.22×4 = $240.88 | Same | 1.15 | $240.88×1.15 h = $277.01 | |
| 2003 | 67.21×4 = $268.84 | Same | 0.69 | $268.84×0.69 h = $185.50 |
*QI, quality improvement.