What is it about?
Comparing average length of stay between countries is fraught with misunderstanding. The USA runs with about 50% of hospitals in the 50 to 200 bed range, while over 50% of UK hospitals have >500 beds. Poor economy of scale in the US leads to compensating measures to reduce costs (which may not be beneficial to the patient). After adjusting for average state income and average beds per hospital seemingly low average LOS in the US is adjusted up to around the average LOS in the UK.
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Why is it important?
Factors such as a majority of very small hospitals and health insurance in the US act to skew the interpretation of hospital efficiency measures.
Perspectives
Hospitals in the UK get berated for not matching the average LOS achieved in the US. After adjustment the apparent disparity goes away.
Dr Rodney P Jones
Healthcare Analysis & Forecasting
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Average length of stay in hospitals in the USA, British Journal of Healthcare Management, April 2013, Mark Allen Group,
DOI: 10.12968/bjhc.2013.19.4.186.
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