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Hospital length of stay has become
one of the most important performance indicators for purposes
of cost control. Hospitals nationwide seek to reduce length
of stay within the boundaries of sound medical practice
as the hospitals generally paid by discharge and not per
day.
- Overall Length of Stay: The average
length of stay (ALOS) for Hawai'i as a whole was 5.4
days in 2006--4 percent lower than in 1995. Hawai'i's
overall ALOS is above the U.S. average of 4.6 days.
Seven of the top 10 conditions with the longest hospital
stays were related to infants.1 Each condition
has a mean length of stay exceeding 35 days.
- Average Length of Stay by County:
Between 1995 and 2006, decreases in ALOS were experienced
at O'ahu's hospitals (9 percent decrease) and Maui
County hospitals (16 percent decrease). In contrast,
ALOS increased on Hawai'i County and Kaua'i County
facilities (16 percent and 23 percent, respectively).
In 2006, patients hospitalized on O'ahu had the highest
ALOS at 5.9 days; Kaua'i had the lowest at 4.3 days.
The higher ALOS on O'ahu is attributed to the concentration
of tertiary care services in Honolulu. These services
are necessary for treating sicker and often high-risk
patients.
- Occupancy Rate: The occupancy rate
for Hawai'i's acute care facilities, averaging 70
percent in 2005,2 was higher than for the
nation as a whole, at 66 percent. This reflects lower
bed capacity in Hawai'i, with a rate of 2.0 beds per
1,000 population compared with the overall U.S. rate
of 2.5 beds per 1,000 (See Health Resources).
- Occupancy Rate by County: In 1995,
the occupancy rate on O'ahu was 69 percent--the highest
in the state. In 2005, Maui County hospitals had the
highest occupancy rate in the state (78 percent),
followed by Hawai'i (71 percent). Honolulu and
Kauai'i's hospitals had the lowest occupancy rate
at 69 and 63 percent, respectively. Between 1995 and 2005, the occupancy
rate increased in all Hawai'i counties except Honolulu.
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Source: Hawaii Health Information Corporation, Inpatient Database.; Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project, Nationwide Inpatient Sample.
Note: Based on county of discharging facility. Includes newborns defined as MDC 15.
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Source: Hawaii Health Information Corporation, Inpatient Database.; Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project, Nationwide Inpatient Sample.; American Hospital Association, Hospital Statistics.
Note: Based on county of discharging facility. Includes newborns defined as MDC 15.
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