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UT I L I ZAT ION
HOSPI TALS
HOSPITALS/SYSTEMS DIGEST 2015
SANOFI / MANAGED CARE DIGEST SERIES
®
/
WHERE INFORMATION BECOMES INTELLIGENCE
.
™
14
Key Takeaway
As a utilization measure that often tracks with charges, ALOS has been closely monitored by
providers and payers alike. Yet steady decreases in ALOS have not corresponded to declines in
costs: overall length of stay nationally dropped by 0.2%, on average, each year from 2003 to 2008,
and again from 2008 to 2012, even as hospital costs rose 1.8% each year from 2003 to 2012.
1
Data source: IMS Health © 2015
2.7
2.8
2.7
2.8
2.8
2.9
8.1
7.9
7.8
7.7
7.6
7.4
6.3
6.3
6.2
6.0
5.9
5.8
3.5
3.5
3.4
3.4
3.5
3.4
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
0.0
2.5
5.0
7.5
10.0
ALOS (Days)
Breast Cancer
Colorectal Cancer
Lung Cancer
Prostate Cancer
AVERAGE LENGTH OF STAY (DAYS) PER INPATIENT CASE, 2013
ACS Angina Asthma Depres-
sion
Diabetes
Mellitus
Hyper-
choles-
terolemia
Hyper-
tension
Rheu-
matoid
Arthritis
Osteo-
arthritis Stroke
SIZE
<50 Beds
1.8
2.0
3.0
5.3
3.8
6.0
2.6
3.2
3.3
3.6
50–119 Beds
1.8
1.9
3.4
5.7
4.1
2.3
2.3
3.3
3.2
3.7
120–249 Beds
1.9
1.9
3.4
5.8
4.4
1.9
2.4
3.5
3.2
4.1
250+ Beds
2.2
2.3
3.4
6.5
4.8
3.3
2.6
3.8
3.2
4.7
OWNERSHIP TYPE
Not-for-Profit
1.9
2.2
3.3
5.9
4.1
3.1
2.5
3.6
3.1
3.9
For-Profit
2.0
1.9
3.5
5.8
4.7
2.0
2.4
3.5
3.2
4.3
Government
2.1
2.0
3.1
6.5
4.1
3.3
2.7
3.6
3.5
4.1
MHS OWNERSHIP
MHS Hospitals
2.0
1.9
3.3
6.0
4.3
2.4
2.4
3.5
3.1
4.1
Non-MHS
Hospitals
2.0
2.6
3.2
5.9
4.1
5.2
2.8
3.7
3.4
3.9
ALL HOSPITALS
2.0
2.1
3.3
6.0
4.2
3.0
2.5
3.6
3.2
4.0
AVERAGE LENGTH OF STAY (DAYS) PER INPATIENT CASE, 2008–2013
1
Weiss, A., and Elixhauser, A. (2014). Overview of Hospital Stays in the United States, 2012. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Retrieved from http://www.hcup-us.ahrq.gov/reports/statbriefs/sb180-Hospitalizations-United-States-2012.pdfALOS Is Shorter at Non-Profit Hospitals for Five of 10 Diseases
CHRONIC DISEASE
• Average length of stay (ALOS) per inpatient
case was lower at not-for-profit facilities than for-
profits in five of the 10 profiled chronic diseases in
2013, most notably for diabetes (4.1 days vs. 4.7).
• However, for-profit hospitals trimmed ALOS
for six of these diagnoses from 2012 to 2013,
whereas not-for-profit facilities reduced this
measure for just four during that year.
ALOS Declines for Colorectal, Lung and Prostate Cancer Inpatient Treatment
• Hospitals nationally shortened ALOS per
inpatient case from 2012 to 2013 for three of the
four cancer types shown; ALOS for colorectal
cancer fell five times annually from 2008 to 2013.
• A 0.1-day increase in the national ALOS per
inpatient breast cancer case from 2012
(2.8 days) to 2013 (2.9 days) pushed this measure
to its highest point in the six years profiled.
LONG-TERM TREND