D Richter1. 1. Westf.Klinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Münster. d.richter@t-online.de
Abstract
AIM OF THE STUDY: According to German Hospital Financing Regulations hospital comparisons are undertaken to serve as information basis to providers and purchasers concerning budget findings. The current purchasers' hospital comparison includes diagnosis and patients' age to compare costs between hospitals. This study aims at evaluating diagnosis, age and additional variables as predictors of length of stay for psychiatric inpatient treatment. METHODS: Data of one year's admissions of a German state psychiatric hospital (N = 2450) were evaluated by a linear regression analysis. RESULTS: The purchasers' model of diagnosis and age accounts for 10.5% of the variation of length of stay. A second model with additional sociodemographic and clinical variables accounts only for 11.3% of the variation. CONCLUSIONS: Results of this study are confirmed by several international studies on length of stay in psychiatric hospitals. It is concluded that diagnosis and age do not account sufficiently for the variation of length of stay in psychiatry. Meaningful hospital comparisons should include disease specific clinical, biographical and sociodemographic measures.
AIM OF THE STUDY: According to German Hospital Financing Regulations hospital comparisons are undertaken to serve as information basis to providers and purchasers concerning budget findings. The current purchasers' hospital comparison includes diagnosis and patients' age to compare costs between hospitals. This study aims at evaluating diagnosis, age and additional variables as predictors of length of stay for psychiatric inpatient treatment. METHODS: Data of one year's admissions of a German state psychiatric hospital (N = 2450) were evaluated by a linear regression analysis. RESULTS: The purchasers' model of diagnosis and age accounts for 10.5% of the variation of length of stay. A second model with additional sociodemographic and clinical variables accounts only for 11.3% of the variation. CONCLUSIONS: Results of this study are confirmed by several international studies on length of stay in psychiatric hospitals. It is concluded that diagnosis and age do not account sufficiently for the variation of length of stay in psychiatry. Meaningful hospital comparisons should include disease specific clinical, biographical and sociodemographic measures.