The impact of hospital discharge on inappropriate hospital stay

Lambert J.G.G. Panis (Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Medical Technology Assessment, University Hospital Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands)

Frank W.S.M. Verheggen (Quality Council, University Hospital Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands, and also at the Dutch Institute for Healthcare Improvement (CBO), Utrecht, The Netherlands)

Peter Pop (Department of Internal Medicine, University of Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands and is also at the Transmural and Diagnostic Center, University Hospital Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands)

Martin H. Prins (Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Medical Technology Assessment, University Hospital Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands)

International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance

ISSN: 0952-6862

Publication date: 1 June 2004

Abstract

Appropriate hospital stay should be effective, efficient and tailored to patient needs. Previous studies have found that on average 20 per cent of hospital stay is inappropriate. Within obstetrics, inappropriate hospital stay consists mostly of delays in hospital discharge. The specific goals of this study were to reduce inappropriate hospital stay by fine‐tuning patient logistics, increasing efficiency and providing more comfortable surroundings. New policies using strict discharge criteria were implemented. Total inappropriate hospital stay decreased from 13.3 to 7.2 per cent. The delay in discharge procedures halved. P‐charts showed a decrease in inappropriate hospital stay, indicating the current process to be stable. Concludes that a significant reduction in inappropriate hospital stay was found following the implementation of innovative hospital discharge policies, indicating greater efficiency and accessibility of hospital services.