Dissecting the Hospital Stay

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
A methodology is proposed and tested for the staging of patients through a hospital stay. Measurements in a university-affiliated hospital and a community hospital in the Boston area showed similar staging patterns with about half of the sample having abnormal signs and symptoms while under treatment. The second-largest sample group in both hospitals, consisting of 11 per cent of the sample, occupied beds although ready for discharge. The methodology indicated those patient-time units in the hospital which might be amenable to further reduction and gave upper bounds on that compression. Contrary to prior expectations, 90 per cent of the patients sampled followed a well-defined sequence from admission to discharge with only 10 per cent having complications of the admitting diagnosis, new diagnosis or iatrogenic illness.

This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: