The relationship of hospital structural and financial characteristics to mortality and length of stay in acute myocardial infarction patients.

This ex post facto correlational study reports the influence of eight hospital structural and financial characteristics on mortality and length of stay (LOS) in acute myocardial infarction patients in 373 California hospitals. Significant results include: registered nurse hours/patient day (RN hours/pt. day) were inversely related to mortality in bivariate and regression analyses and to LOS in regression analyses. Total operating expenses/patient day (TOE/pt. day) were positively related to mortality (regression analyses) and LOS (bivariate analysis). The authors discuss implications for research and administration.