The Effect of Type of Hospital and Health Insurance on Hospital Length of Stay in Irbid, North Jordan

Abstract

The study aimed at examining the effects of type of hospital and health insurance status on hospital length of stay for three identified medical and surgical conditions. Medical records of 520 patients for the year 1991 were reviewed in one public and one private hospital. Comparison of hospital length of stay for the private (n = 185) versus public sector patients (n = 335) was carried out. The effect of presence of health insurance (n = 189) and the lack of it (n = 325) was also studied. It was found that the average length of stay in the public hospital was significantly longer than the private one (3.3 versus 2.7 days). In addition, insured patients had significantly longer hospital length of stay (3.3 versus 3.0 days). The results of the multi-variate analysis showed that after socioeconomic factors and clinical conditions of patients were adjusted for, the influence of hospital type and health insurance on hospital length of stay was about one day. The paper also discusses the need to base hospital cost-containment strategies on studies of hospital behaviour and performance.

Survey on the Length of Stay for the Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: An Application on Ataturk Chest Disease Hospital

“…In the advanced statistical analysis, the groups of illiterate people and primary school level and junior high school group were not different from another meaningfully from the statistical point, but the average of all other groups were meaningfully different from another in the statistical aspect. (11), have all been well-adjusted to this result of research. In some other researches, LOS of people living in the city has increased (8,23).…”

“…In the study on factors affecting diagnosis and treatment in acute rheumatic fever and controllable variableities of these procedures carried out by Turkish Armed Forces in different power forces it has been found that the physicians attitude and behaviour have significant influence on ALOS (14). The type, severity, structure of illnesses were also found to be significant predictors of ALOS in the study of Mawajdeh (11).…”

“…There fore establishing the LOS according to the illnesses is one of the subjects to be studied in hospital management (4,5). That LOS should be analysed on the basis of physicians and diagnostic groups seems another approach on which authors agree (10,11), L Le en ng gt th h o of f S St ta ay y i in n C Ch hr ro on ni ic c O Ob bs st tr ru uc ct ti iv ve e P Pu ul lm mo on na ar ry y D Di is se ea as se e Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a slow but progressive disease which is characterised by obstructive air flow due to chronic bronchitis and emphysema. It is one of the common respiratory diseases in the world; it has become a favourite research topic because of its relatively increasing morbidity and mortality and expenditure on health.…”

“…As a result of decrease in the cost of LOS, the increase in the number of in patients and the increase in the circulation positively affect the efficiency of the hospital. There fore hospital sources have been used more effectively and efficiently (10,11). As a result of reducing unnecessary hospital stay; wasting money, labour and time can be prevented.…”

“…Mawajdeh et al (11), have stated four categories -patient, physician, hospital and source and type of payment-determine the LOS. Çelik et al (8), mention that age, sex, residence, institution at which the patient admitted and insurance status determine unnecessary stay.…”