• Quality Improvement in Health Care
• /
• v.1 no.2
• /
• pp.34-43
• /
• 1994

Background: The average hospital stay in most Korean teaching hospitals is longer than that of hospitals in developed countries. The investigation of average hospital stay of teaching hospitals is considered as an important measure to evaluate the effectiveness of hospital management. In this article authors analyzed the relationship of several variables (hospital ownership, number of beds, location of hospitals, number of physician) to length of hospital stay in each clinical department. Methods: The average hospital stay of each clinical department of 184 teaching hospitals was investigated. Authors reviewed the papers of teaching hospitals, that was reported to the Korean Association of Hospitals. Results: The means of hospital stay day of hospitals were not significantly different according to the number of hospital beds and location of hospitals. Only the difference of hospital stay according to ownerships was significant. The length of stay was the highest in public hospitals and the lowest in juridical hospitals. Conclusions: The number of beds and location of hospitals were not associated with the average hospital stay. But ownerships affected the average hospital stay. The national or public hospitals had the longest length of hospital stay. Number of specialists and number of all physicians were closely related to the average hospital stay.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
• /
• v.9 no.3
• /
• pp.128-142
• /
• 2004

To evaluate the effects of critical pathway on the length of hospital stay, the cost and quality of care provided to gastrectomy patients in a tertiary care academic medical center. The basic research design is a retrospective case-control comparative study. 470 patients of gastrectomy were included in the study; 180 before pathway development (control), 163 right after pathway implementation (path group I) and 127 one year after pathway implementation (path groupII). 476 patients of modified radical mastectomy were also analyzed to examine whether the reduction of the length of hospital stay is from the hospital-wide trend or due to the critical pathway. Death after operation, ICU stay, unplanned re-operation, readmission after discharge, the length of hospital stay and cost were analyzed. 2-test, one-way ANOVA, Bonferroni and Turkey's test were used for statistical analysis. (1) There were no significant differences in patient clinical conditions and no sign of deterioration of quality from critical pathway. (2) The length of hospital stay was 13.0 days in control group, 12.2 days in path group I and 10.0 days (p<0.01) in path groupII. (3) The total costs during the hospital stay were reduced. However the cost per day was significantly increased from reduction of hospital stay (358,488won in control, 366,017won in path group I and 413,220won (p<0.01) in path groupII). Critical pathway reduced the length of hospital stay, total hospital costs and resource utilization without harming quality of patient care.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
• /
• v.24 no.2
• /
• pp.75-81
• /
• 2011

Purpose: The aim of this study was to analyze the influence of a trauma team's management. Methods: A total of 181 patients with severe trauma were retrospectively divided into two groups. Of these 181 patients, 81 patients without a trauma team admitted between April and October 2008 were assigned to Group 1, and 100 patients with a Trauma team admitted between April and October 2009 were assigned to Group II. We compared general characteristics, the length of stay in the emergency department (ED) and treatment outcomes (24-h packed RBC transfusion, length of intensive care unit (ICU) stay, length of hospital stay, in-hospital mortality, 24-h mortality) between these two groups. Results: The length of stay in the ED was significantly reduced in Group II compared to Group I ($p$=0.025). No significant differences were found in mean arterial pressure, Glasgow Coma Scale, Revised Trauma Score, Injury Severity Score, in-hospital mortality and 24-h mortality between the two groups. However, Group II had a lower amount of 24-h packed RBC transfusion and a shorter length of ICU and hospital stay than Group I, although these differences were not statistically significant. Conclusion: Through the establishment of a trauma team, the length of stay in the ED can be reduced remarkably. Furthermore, the need for 24-h packed RBC transfusions and the length of stay in the ICU and hospital were found to be decreased in patients managed by a trauma team.

• The Korean Journal of Health Service Management
• /
• v.8 no.4
• /
• pp.13-24
• /
• 2014

This study analyzes the effects of hospital caseload on medical charges and length of stay for inpatients. Hospital caseload, representing the level of concentration of patients, was measured with the Internal Herfindal Index for three diagnosis related group (DRG) codes (appendectomy, operations on anus, and operations on uterus and adnexa). Ordinary least squares regression was used for analysis. Results showed that medical charges per inpatient and average length of stay significantly differed with respect to hospital concentration indices, and that hospital caseload was inversely related to operational performance for appendectomy and operations on uterus and adnexa. The significant negative relationship between concentration index and length of stay may decrease the total medical charges. The results imply that the expansion of the DRG payment system to hospitals will have a negative influence on their gross sales.

• Physical Therapy Korea
• /
• v.31 no.1
• /
• pp.48-54
• /
• 2024

Background: Promoting patients' safe return home at discharge and reducing length of stay in hospital is key for Restorative Rehabilitation Institution (RMI). Objects: This study was designed to identify the factors influencing the return to home and length of stay among various factors. Methods: A total of 120 stroke patients (76 males and 44 females) who were hospitalized in an adult inpatient unit of a RMI for more than 2 months were retrospectively analyzed for this study (multivariate logistic regression analyses, p < 0.001). As predictor variables for assessing the return to home and length of stay, demographic data (sex, age, duration between onset and admission, length of stay, caregiver after discharge, occupation after discharge, reason for discharge, and household type after discharge) were collected. Additionally, following measurements were selectively collected from patient's medical records: scores of Mini-Mental State Examination Korean version (K-MMSE), modified Barthel Index Korean version (K-MBI), Berg Balance Scale and Functional Ambulation Category were obtained at admission and discharge. Results: The K-MMSE at admission and K-MBI at discharge were found to be the predictors of return to home. Additionally, K-MBI at admission influenced the length of stay. Conclusion: This study suggests cognitive functioning at admission and the level of activities of daily living at discharge predicted the return to home and length of stay.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
• /
• v.63 no.9
• /
• pp.361-367
• /
• 2020

Background: Length of stay is a significant indicator of care effectiveness and hospital performance. Owing to the limited number of healthcare centers and facilities, it is important to optimize length of stay and associated factors. Purpose: The present study aimed to investigate factors associated with neonatal length of stay in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) using parametric and semiparametric models and compare model fitness according to Akaike information criterion (AIC) between 2016 and 2018. Methods: This retrospective cohort study reviewed 600 medical records of infants admitted to the NICU of Bandar Abbas Hospital. Samples were identified using census sampling. Factors associated with NICU length of stay were investigated based on semiparametric Cox model and 4 parametric models including Weibull, exponential, log-logistic, and log-normal to determine the best fitted model. The data analysis was conducted using R software. The significance level was set at 0.05. Results: The study findings suggest that breastfeeding, phototherapy, acute renal failure, presence of mechanical ventilation, and availability of central venous catheter were commonly identified as factors associated with NICU length of stay in all 5 models (P<0.05). Parametric models showed better fitness than the Cox model in this study. Conclusion: Breastfeeding and availability of central venous catheter had protective effects against length of stay, whereas phototherapy, acute renal failure, and mechanical ventilation increased length of stay in NICU. Therefore, the identification of factors associated with NICU length of stay can help establish effective interventions aimed at decreasing the length of stay among infants.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing
• /
• v.4 no.2
• /
• pp.245-265
• /
• 1997

The purpose of this study was to promote the effectiveness in managing disease or injury, by examining the length of stay in hospital according to characteristics concerned before and after operation, and by serving as a basis for reducing that length. As a result of investigating the length of stay in hospital according to inpatient's personal characteristics, clinical features and other characteristics concerned, the following characteristics appeared significant. The characteristics that showed a significant difference about the length of stay in hospital before and after operation were the age and the fact whether one was married or not among inpatient's personal characteristics. The significant ones among clinical features were the route to be taken to hospital, the form of insurance, the experience of re-hospitalization, whether another disease coexisted, the experiment of changing department, whether a diagnosis was determined by consultation, whether an intensive care unit was used, whether re-operation was performed, the total number of case of the experience of re-hospitalization, inpatient who were again sent to hospital under the same diagnosis was not included in the investigation, which was pointed out as a limit in this study. The significant ones among other characteristics concerned were the date and season when the patients were taken to hospital and the doctor in attendance. The doctor in attendance appeared to give a significant impact on the length of stay in hospital before operation, but no significant difference was noted in the mean among the doctors in attendance. And those characteristics were not found regularly among the selected departments. As stated above, one way to reduce the length of stay In hospital was to diminish the length of stay in hospital before operation. The term of hospitalization before operation shall be reduced by grasping the factors that affected that length before operation and by conducting examination as many as possible in the out-patient department. Also, the efforts should be put on that length after operation. The management of hospital seemed to be successfully carried out if those factors affected that length were effectively controlled.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
• /
• v.15 no.2
• /
• pp.15-26
• /
• 2010

Stroke is a high-risk disease. The future of the medical environment is that the proportion of elderly population is increasing, the average life expectancy is being increased, while the fatal rate of stroke will be low. These situation will due to the financial burden on medical insurance. The most important factor that affects on the medical costs of stroke patients is the length of stay. In this study the mean length of hospital for stroke stay was 21.81days(37.97days for intracerebral hemorrhage, 18.89 days for cerebral infarction). The payment per case of stroke was 6.86 million won(12.6 million won for intracerebral hemorrhage, 5.72 million won for cerebral infarction). The payment per case of intracerebral hemorrhage was 2.2 times more than that of cerebral infarction. The payment in the day of hospitalization was the highest and until the second day medical costs was high. After the third day medical costs tended to decline, after that seemed to show an almost constant level. The length of hospital stay was found to be the most important determinant of inpatient charges for stroke. Accordingly rational management of the length of stay will be beneficial to health care consumers, providers, states.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
• /
• v.30 no.4
• /
• pp.173-178
• /
• 2017

Purpose: Most patients with acute low back pain visit emergency room (ER). They mostly need beds, and if their length of stay is longer, it can become difficult to accommodate new patients at the ER. We analyzed the treatment process of patients with back pain and tried to find method for shortening of the length of stay at the ER. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of patients with back pain who visited at our ER for one year. Patients were divided into two groups according to their length of stay at ER and were compared the charateristcs of between two groups. Results: A total of 274 patients were included in the study. Eigthy-nine patients (32.5%) were in the group with less than 3 hours and 185 patients (67.5%) were in the other group. In the comparison of the two groups according to the medical departments, the number of patients who were in group with more than 3 hours were 25 (14.0%) in the emergency department, 94 (50.5%) in neurosurgery, 66 (35.5%) in orthopedic surgery. Length of stay was significantly increased in orthopedic surgery and neurosurgery (p=0.014). In addition, the length of stay was longer when computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging examinations were performed (p=0.000). Regardless of the type of analgesic agent, the median time to the analgesic treatment was shorter in the group with less than 3 hours (p=0.034). Conclusions: In patients with back pain who visit the ER, the emergency medicine doctor will early control the pain and do not unnecessary image examination to reduce a length of stay at the ER.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
• /
• v.3 no.1
• /
• pp.100-120
• /
• 1998

Tertiary been increasing rapidly. There has been shortage of beds in hospitals and effective management of beds had to b considered. For the efficient utilization of the exsisting hospital beds, bed turnover rate ha to be high and their length of stay in hospital has to be shortened. The sample of this study was in-patients admitted in 13 clinical departments of a tertiar hospital in Wonju. Daily medical fees through length of stay in hospital were observed an we analyzed the increase of hospital revenues per bed for the shortening of length of stay. The results of the analysis were as follows: 1. The average length of stay by dept. was 11.0 in dept. of internal medicine. 12.4 in dept. of general surgery, 7.1 in dept. of gynecoloty, 6.8 in dept. of pediatrics, 26.1 in dept. of nervous surgery, 21.6 in dept. of orthopedic surgery, 25.5 in dept. of plastic sersury, 7.6 in dept. of ophthalmology, 7.1 in dept. of E.N.T, 8.1 in dept. dermatoloty, 9.0 in dept. urology. 2. The trend of daily medical fees of in-patients was the highest from the first day to the third day. Because most necessary examination and various treatment or operation took place in these period. 3. The estimative model for medical fees by the length of stay at each clinical department was inferred. 4. The increased revenue per bed by shortening the length of stay was calculated by the estimative model. Shortening one day would increase 305,999 thousand won in dept. of internal medicine 232,138 thousand won in dept. of general surgery., 177,795 thousand won in dept. of gynecology medicine, 69,031 thousand won in dept. of pediatrics 360,381 thousand won in dept. of nervous surgery 211.339 thousand won in dept. of orthopedic surgery, 100,249 thousand won in dept of plastic surgery, 10,569 thousand won in dept. of ophthalmology -814,122 thousand won in dept. of E.N.T, 1,582 thousand won in dept. of dermatology, -5,821 thousand won in dept. of urology. It is expected that they can improve their profitability by shortening the length of stay of the in-patients.