Differences in length of stay in Veterans Health Administration and other United States hospitals: is the gap closing?

OBJECTIVES: Compare risk-adjusted length of stay (LOS) in VA and other United States (non-VA) hospitals and determine if relative differences in LOS have changed in recent years. RESEARCH
DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. PATIENTS: Patients with ten common medical diagnoses admitted to all VA hospitals and to non-VA hospitals included in the National Hospital Discharge Survey (NHDS) during 1996 through 1999. DATA: Comparable data elements were obtained from VA administrative databases and the NHDS. LOS was adjusted for age, gender, marital status, and comorbidity. Comorbidity was assessed using a validated methodology that considers 30 conditions.
RESULTS: Unadjusted mean LOS was longer in VA than non-VA patient for all 4 years, in aggregate (7.1 vs. 4.9 days, respectively; P < 0.001), and for each year individually. However, the difference in mean LOS in VA and non-VA patients declined from 2.9 days in 1996 to 1.6 days in 1999. LOS in VA patients remained longer (P < 0.001) in linear regression analyses, adjusting for demographics and comorbidity. However, the difference in LOS declined from 28.5% (95% CI, 28.1%-29.0%) in 1996 to 17.0% (95% CI, 16.6%-17.4%) in 1999. These results were similar in analyses of individual geographic regions.
CONCLUSIONS: Risk-adjusted LOS was longer in VA hospitals than in other United States hospitals. However, differences in LOS narrowed between 1996 and 1999. These findings suggest that changes in the organization and delivery of VA health care in the mid-1990s may be closing the gap between the VA and other healthcare systems in hospital utilization.