Length of stay (LOS) is a data set that is calculated on a daily basis for the patient demographics in order for the facility to understand the capacity and ability to accept new inpatient cases. Depending on the job title, many different healthcare professionals view the data associated with LOS differently.
Evaluation Title: Length of Stay Presentation
Explain in three to five sentences the relevance of LOS to a healthcare manager in a hospital setting.
- Create a bullet point presentation for the board which includes administrators, physicians, other care providers and the stakeholders of the facility. Include in the presentation:
- The data points that need to be collected in order to calculate LOS.
- An explanation of why each data point is vital to the overall statistical result.
- A mock dataset of patient data to show the board how LOS is calculated (to ensure full explanation of ideas).
- Utilize at least two outside resources to support your assignment submission.
Expert Solution Preview
Introduction:
Length of stay (LOS) is a crucial metric for healthcare facilities as it provides essential insight into the ability of the facility to accommodate new inpatient cases. As a medical professor designing and conducting lectures, evaluating student performance, and providing feedback, I would like to provide a detailed answer to the following content.
Answer:
LOS is an important metric for healthcare managers in a hospital setting as it helps them understand the capacity of the facility to accommodate new inpatient cases. It is crucial for healthcare managers to monitor the LOS trend of their facility regularly to determine if there are any issues with capacity management. With this information, healthcare managers can make informed decisions and implement strategies to improve efficiency and optimize cost.
Presentation:
Data points that need to be collected in order to calculate LOS:
1. Admission date
2. Discharge date
Explanation of the significance of each data point to the overall statistical result:
1. Admission date – is used to determine when a patient has been admitted into the hospital. LOS is calculated by deducting the admission date from the discharge date.
2. Discharge date – is used to determine when a patient was discharged from the hospital. LOS is calculated by deducting the admission date from the discharge date.
Mock dataset of patient data to show how LOS is calculated:
| Patient ID | Admission Date | Discharge Date | Length of Stay |
| ——— | ————– | ————– | ————– |
| 001 | 01/01/2021 | 05/01/2021 | 4 days |
| 002 | 02/01/2021 | 07/01/2021 | 5 days |
| 003 | 04/01/2021 | 05/01/2021 | 1 day |
| 004 | 07/01/2021 | 12/01/2021 | 5 days |
| 005 | 11/01/2021 | 16/01/2021 | 5 days |
References:
1. Middleton, S. (2016). Length of stay. Clinical medicine (London, England), 16(6), 481-484.
2. Tanner, J., Padley, W., Assaf, E., & Leaper, D. (2017). Length of stay as a surrogate marker for quality health care: What it is, what it isn’t, and how to use it. American journal of infection control, 45(3), 241-245.
