Investigation of the correlation between inappropriate hospitalization and hospital stay rate: an application in medical clinics of a military hospital

Mil Med. 2002 Oct;167(10):817-20.

Abstract

Background: Medical services play a major role in hospital facilities. Along with the medical applications and diagnoses, physicians affect the hospital costs by 70% to 80%. Therefore, the hospital administrators should establish some systems that can modify the current application models of physicians.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the appropriateness of hospitalization days and length of stay of the patients in 13 internal clinics in a military hospital.

Study design: 5,205 patient days belonging to 416 patients were evaluated by Appropriateness Evaluation Protocol. Patients' data were retrospectively collected by using a "data collection form" through patients' files and then were evaluated by frequencies and percentage distributions.

Results: The unnecessary hospitalization rate and unnecessary stay rate were 4.8% and 15.75%, respectively. The highest unnecessary hospitalization rates were in nuclear medicine (50%).

Conclusion: It was concluded that the inappropriate hospitalization rate and inappropriate stay rates were 4.8% and 15.75%, respectively.

MeSH terms

  • Decision Making
  • Delphi Technique
  • Female
  • Health Services Misuse / statistics & numerical data*
  • Health Services Research
  • Hospitalization / statistics & numerical data*
  • Hospitals, Military / statistics & numerical data*
  • Humans
  • Length of Stay
  • Male
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Turkey