Evaluation of the appropriateness of hospital stay in gynecological wards in Tabriz Teaching Hospitals

ABSTRACT

The increasing demand for health care services together with the increasing cost of providing them supports the need for a reconsideration of the existing structures. This study evaluated the appropriateness of hospital stay in gynecological wards. This is a descriptive-analytic study which was conducted in 2006-2007 by using modified appropriateness evaluation protocol. The average duration of hospital stay for 402 patients was 55.18 +/- 45.03 hours. The length of hospital stay was inappropriate in 61.2%.The main reasons for unnecessary stay before surgery included no prior outpatient preparation of patients for operation, inadequate diagnostic procedures and the problems resulting from urgent admission [OR=2.91, CI=1. 53-5.28, OR=1.56, CI=1.10-2.99 and OR=1.01, CI=0.08-2.58 respectively].The most important factors for inappropriate stay after surgery included patient's home-hospital distance and delayed physician's order for discharge [OR=4.18, CI=2.57-13.20 and OR=2.06, CI=1.02-4.43]. Inappropriate hospital stay was 61.2%, and it could be decreased to 28.10% by using appropriate approaches