relation: http://d-scholarship-dev.library.pitt.edu/26680/
title: Factors that affect length of stay in a non-profit hospice
creator: Singh, Indira
description: This study examined the factors that influence length of stay at a local non-profit hospice organization. Length of stay is a variable of public health significance as it affects quality of life at the end of life and healthcare expenditures associated with end of life care. Data included three years of medical records (n=7,574) from a non-profit hospice in the Pittsburgh, PA area. Factors considered were age, race, gender, primary diagnosis, insurance type, referral source, admission location, and score on the Palliative Performance Scale (PPS). Results showed that referral source and PPS score were important predictors of length of stay in hospice when controlling for other variables. Patients who scored 30% or lower on the PPS had shorter lengths of stay (median LOS = 3 days) and patients who scored 40% or higher on the PPS had longer lengths of stay (median LOS = 17 days). Patients referred from hospitals tended to have shorter lengths of stay (median LOS = 5 days) and patients referred by physicians tended to have longer lengths of stay (median LOS = 20 days). This information may have important implications for hospital policies on referring patients to hospice care. For example, cancer patients referred from hospitals might benefit most from earlier referrals to hospice, in terms of quality of care and cost of treatment.
publisher: University of Pittsburgh
date: 2015-12
type: Other Thesis, Dissertation, or Long Paper
type: PeerReviewed
format: application/msword
language: en
rights: attached
identifier: http://d-scholarship-dev.library.pitt.edu/26680/1/Singh_MastersEssay12_2015.doc
format: text/plain
language: en
rights: attached
identifier: http://d-scholarship-dev.library.pitt.edu/26680/3/licence.txt
identifier:   Singh, Indira  (2015) Factors that affect length of stay in a non-profit hospice.  Master Essay, University of Pittsburgh.