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By the Numbers: -0.44

From: The Hospitalist, June 2012

The average difference in length of stay between hospitalist groups and non-hospitalist groups.

by Larry Beresford

Average difference in length of stay (LOS) between hospitalist groups and non-hospitalist groups, according to a meta-analysis of 17 studies of outcomes from the hospitalist approach.¹ The authors, from Cooper University Hospital in Camden, N.J., and elsewhere, searched medical literature through February 2011 for studies comparing length of stay or cost outcomes of hospitalist groups with non-hospitalist “comparator groups.” In studies comparing non-resident hospitalist services with non-resident, non-hospitalist services, LOS was shorter by 0.69 days for the hospitalist model. A total of 137,561 patients were included in the meta-analysis. No significant difference was found in cost between the hospitalist and comparison groups.

Reference

Rachoin JS, Skaf J, Cerceo E et al. The impact of hospitalists on length of stay and costs: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Am J Manag Care. 2012;18(1):e23-e30.

This copy is for your personal, noncommercial use only. No part of this article can be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher. Order presentation-ready copies for distribution to your colleagues, clients, or customers by contacting our reprints department at reprints@wiley.com. Copyright © 2009 Society of Hospital Medicine, administered by John Wiley & Sons Inc.

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