Trends in inpatient hospital deaths: National Hospital Discharge Survey, 2000-2010.

In 2000, there were 2.4 million deaths in the United States, and in 2010 there were 2.5 million (1,2). In both years, about one-third of these deaths occurred in short-stay, general hospitals (3), despite research that found that most Americans prefer to die in their own homes (4-6). This report presents National Hospital Discharge Survey (NHDS) data from 2000 through 2010 on patients who died during hospitalization. All material appearing in this report is in the public domain and may be reproduced or copied without permission; citation as to source, however, is appreciated.