Rounding frequency and hospital length of stay for children with respiratory illnesses: a simulation study.

BACKGROUND: Patient discharge from the hospital is linked to physician-led rounds, whereas discharge from the emergency department (ED) is more fluid. The relationship between rounding and length of stay (LOS) has not been quantitatively described. OBJECTIVES: To describe the arrival and discharge patterns in the ED and inpatient settings for children with respiratory illnesses and to explore how the timing and frequency of rounding could impact LOS. DESIGN/SETTING: Retrospective administrative data analyses of visits for respiratory illnesses to a tertiary care pediatric ED from May 2007 to April 2010. METHODS: ED visits for common respiratory conditions were selected based on International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification codes, excluding complex comorbid conditions, severe illness, and intensive care unit admission. Discharge time was plotted against arrival time for the ED and inpatient unit. LOS was calculated. A Monte Carlo simulation model was developed to explore the influence of additional rounds on inpatient LOS. RESULTS: Of the 5503 included visits, 1285 (23.4%) resulted in inpatient care. Discharges from the ED typically occurred 2 to 5 hours after arrival, whereas most inpatient discharges occurred between 11 am and 6 pm regardless of admission time. Simulating 1 additional rounding session decreased predicted inpatient LOS by approximately 5 hours. CONCLUSIONS: In contrast to ED discharges that occurred around the clock, inpatient discharges for children with respiratory illnesses were concentrated during afternoon hours. Increasing rounding frequency may improve hospital efficiency but could result in unintended consequences such as fewer opportunities for patient education.

Portrayal of organ donation and transplantation on American primetime television.

Recently, both living and deceased organ donation rates have hit a plateau, despite increases in need for viable organs. One approach to improve donation rate is public education and policy; thus, it is necessary to understand the information the public is receiving regarding organ donation. We hypothesized that primetime medical dramas portray organ donation and transplantation in a negative manner. We compiled data on all primetime medical drama episodes with transplant themes from November 2008 through June 2010 and assessed depictions of organ donors and transplant candidates. Positive and negative thematic elements surrounding the process and individuals involved were also identified. One hundred and fifty-five million and 145 million households watched episodes containing any negative message and any positive message, respectively. Episodes containing only negative messages had over twice the household viewership per episode compared to episodes containing only positive messages (8.4 million vs. 4.1 million, p = 0.01). Widespread exposure to these representations may reinforce public misconceptions of transplantation. The transplant community should consider the popularity of medical dramas as an opportunity to impact the perception of organ donation and transplantation for millions of Americans.