Table 3.

Cost-based analysis, using both a linear model and log-transformed costs. The difference estimates from the linear model can be interpreted to be additional cost associated with inter-hospital transfer (difference in means). The estimates from the log-transformed cost model can be interpreted to be the ratio of costs (e.g., costs of care in patients who were transferred / costs of care in patients who were not transferred).

Model (Cost of Transfer)	Difference (95%CI) – Linear Model ($USD2010)	eβ (95%CI) = Log- Transformed Cost Model
Unadjusted
Total Additional Cost	$13,486 ($13,043 – $13,941)	2.834 (1.451 – 3.277)
Medical Cost
Emergency Department	$212 ($165 - $259)	1.088 (1.010 – 1.172)
Inpatient Care	$12,776 ($12,330 – $13,234)	3.236 (2.713 – 3.861)
Transport Costs	$763 ($612 – $940)	N/A
Family Costs	$205 ($90 – $441)	N/A
Model 1 (GEE Model, All Patients)†
Total Additional Cost	$6,897 ($5,769 – $8,024)	1.389 (1.331 – 1.449)
Medical Cost
Emergency Department	$8 ($-102 - $117)	1.031 (0.989 – 1.074)
Inpatient Care	$5,345 ($4,282 – $6,408)	1.441 (1.370 – 1.516)
Transport Costs	$890 ($787-$993)	N/A
Family Costs	$141 ($126 - $155)	N/A
Model 2 (GEE Model, Admitted to
Top-Decile Sepsis Hospitals) †
Total Additional Cost	$5,268 ($3,737 – $6,799)	1.361 (1.292 – 1.432)
Medical Cost
Emergency Department	−$10 ($-135 – $115)	1.021 (0.975 – 1.069)
Inpatient Care	$5,167 ($3,696 – $6,638)	1.396 (1.314 – 1.482)
Transport Costs	$744 ($727 – $761)	N/A
Family Costs	$168 ($148 - $189)	N/A

^†Each multivariable model adjusts for age, insurance type, surgery, critical access hospital status, source of infection, comorbidities, and sepsis inpatient volume, clustered on inpatient hospital.