Activity-Based Costing and Its Application in a Turkish University Hospital

ABSTRACT 

Resource management in hospitals is of increasing importance in today's global economy. Traditional accounting systems have become inadequate for managing hospital resources and accurately determining service costs.

Conversely, the activity-based costing approach to hospital accounting is an effective cost management model that determines costs and evaluates financial performance across departments. Obtaining costs that are more accurate can enable hospitals to analyze and interpret costing decisions and make more accurate budgeting decisions.

Traditional and activity-based costing approaches were compared using a cost analysis of gall bladder surgeries in the general surgery department of one university hospital in Manisa, Turkey. AORN J 89 (March 2009) 573–591. © AORN, Inc, 2009.

Key words:  activity-based costing , hospital accounting , resource management , activity pool , cost object , cost driver