Analysis on the effect of medical resource reallocation in the relocation project of a tertiary hospital / 中华医院管理杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To analyze the impact created by the reallocation of a tertiary hospital on the neurosurgery inpatients volume in the functional core area of Beijing as the capital city, for reference to improve the healthcare resource reallocation policy.Methods:The data were obtained from the data sheet of discharged patients and the monthly report of medical statistics in Beijing. The study analyzed the average monthly neurosurgery inpatients volume, surgical beds and bed utilization rate of secondary or higher level hospitals from the core area, a tertiary hospital(hospital A), and as well as three tertiary hospitals(hospitals B, C and D)within 5 kilometers of Hospital A original location before and after the reallocation of Hospitls A. Periods of November 2017 to August 2018 and November 2018 to August 2019 respectively serve as the time frame before and after the relocation of Hospital A.Results:After the reallocation, the average monthly total inpatients volume, inpatients volume from other places, and local inpatients volume of neurosurgery at secondary or higher level hospitals in the core area decreased from 2 238, 1 610 and 628 to 1 526, 996 and 530 respectively. The inpatients volume changes were all statistically different( P<0.001). The number of neurosurgery inpatients in Hospital A and Hospital B increased from 983 and 659 to 1 316 and 934 respectively, as well as the number of neurosurgery inpatients in Hospital C and Hospital D did not change much. After the relocation of Hospital A, the number of surgical beds in secondary or higher level hospitals in the core area was reduced from 5 213 to 4 782, while that of Hospital A increased from 557 to 750, while the other three tertiary hospitals remained unchanged. The changes of bed utilization rate of the 4 hosptials were all less than 7.00%. Conclusions:After the reallocation Hospital A, the neurosurgery inpatient volume in the core area decreased, which was mainly contributed by the decrease of patients from other places, suggesting a positive outcome by the reallocation of healthcare resources in Beijing. On the other hand, it is necessary to study the influence of alternative medical resources on the reallocation effect.