By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    physical health
    5 Ways Playing Games Can Improve Neural and Physical Health
    September 9, 2022
    Reasons For Hair Loss and Its Treatment
    Reasons For Hair Loss and Its Treatment
    February 16, 2022
    healthcare organization
    5 Actionable Strategies For Healthcare Organizations
    August 15, 2022
    Latest News
    7 Most Common Healthcare Accreditation Programs: Which Should You Use?
    August 20, 2025
    Hospital Pest Control and the Fight Against Superbugs
    August 20, 2025
    Hygiene Beyond The Clinic: Attention To Overlooked Non-Clinical Spaces
    August 13, 2025
    5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
    August 3, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    4 Reasons Chris Cornell’s Death Raises Medical Ethics Questions
    December 19, 2018
    What If You Could Sell Your Vote?
    August 24, 2017
    The Sleepy American
    September 12, 2017
    Latest News
    How Social Security Disability Shapes Access to Care and Everyday Health
    August 22, 2025
    How a DUI Lawyer Can Help When Your Future Health Feels Uncertain
    August 22, 2025
    How One Fall Can Lead to a Long Road of Medical Complications
    August 22, 2025
    How IT and Marketing Teams Can Collaborate to Protect Patient Trust
    July 17, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Does Decreased Length of Hospital Stay Equal Lower Cost?
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Business > Hospital Administration > Does Decreased Length of Hospital Stay Equal Lower Cost?
Hospital AdministrationPolicy & Law

Does Decreased Length of Hospital Stay Equal Lower Cost?

Linda Gorman
Linda Gorman
Share
2 Min Read
Men vs. Women
SHARE

Based on a 20 percent sample of Medicare claims from 1985-2005 for people 65 and older, Brauer et al. 2009 provide data on length of hospital stay for people with hip fractures in the U.S.

The median length of stay for hip fracture over the period decreased from 12 days to 5 days. Risk-adjusted mortality at 30, 180, and 360 days improved for both men and women:

Based on a 20 percent sample of Medicare claims from 1985-2005 for people 65 and older, Brauer et al. 2009 provide data on length of hospital stay for people with hip fractures in the U.S.

The median length of stay for hip fracture over the period decreased from 12 days to 5 days. Risk-adjusted mortality at 30, 180, and 360 days improved for both men and women:

More Read

Nursing Shift Changes and Patient Handoffs
Dealing Effectively with Shift Changes and Patient Handoffs
Alarm Fatigue Plagues Hospitals. Again. Still.
Is Your Embarrassing Physician Website Costing You Money?
Why I’m Not Having More Children
Musings on 2012 Health IT

Men vs. Women

Source: Carmen A. Brauer et al. 2009. “Incidence and Mortality of Hip Fracture in the United States,” JAMA, 302, 14, 1573-1579.

Innumerable studies in the health care literature use reduction of days in hospital as a measure of reduced costs. Unfortunately, the simple reduction of days in hospital and death rates, while welcome, tells us little about readmissions, total costs, or extent of recovery.

With the passage of DRG reimbursement in 1983, hospitals began adjusting their business models to accommodate flat rate payments. One outcome was “quicker but sicker” discharges. In 1986-88, the paper notes that 34.3 percent of hip fracture patients went home with self-care and 33 percent were discharged into skilled nursing facilities. By 2003-05, only 5.3 percent of patients were discharged home with self-care. The majority, 52.9 percent, were discharged to a skilled nursing facility.

  

TAGGED:hospital policy
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

travel nurse in north carolina
Balancing Speed and Scope: Choosing the Nursing Degree That Fits Your Goals
Nursing
September 1, 2025
intimacy
How to Keep Intimacy Comfortable as You Age
Relationship and Lifestyle Senior Care
September 1, 2025
engineer fitting prosthetic arm
How Social Security Disability Shapes Access to Care and Everyday Health
Health care
August 20, 2025
a woman explaining the document
How a DUI Lawyer Can Help When Your Future Health Feels Uncertain
Public Health
August 20, 2025

You Might also Like

physician ethics
Medical Ethics

Do Physicians Lie?

May 21, 2013

How the AMA Has Undermined Primary Care

March 16, 2011

PatientKeeper CEO Paul Brient on Accountable Care Organizations (Transcript))

June 24, 2011
Insulin Pump
Global Healthcare

Considering An Insulin Pump? Here’s What You Need To Know

February 18, 2021
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?