An analysis of the length of stay and effectiveness of treatment for hip fracture patients in Japan: evaluation of the 2002 Revision of the Medical Service Fee Schedule.

The length of hospital stay and effectiveness of medical treatment are analyzed using data of patients hospitalized due to hip fractures of four hospitals in Japan. The influence of the Revision of the Medical Service Fee Schedule in April, 2002, is evaluated, and factors which may have affected the length of stay and effectiveness of treatment (walking ability upon departure from the hospital) are also analyzed by a newly developed simultaneous equation model.