Factors that affect length of stay in a non-profit hospice

Singh, Indira (2015) Factors that affect length of stay in a non-profit hospice. Master Essay, University of Pittsburgh.

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Abstract

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.

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Details

Item Type:	Other Thesis, Dissertation, or Long Paper (Master Essay)
Status:	Unpublished
Creators/Authors:	Creators Email Pitt Username ORCID Singh, Indira ids4@pitt.edu IDS4
Contributors:	Contribution Contributors Name Email Pitt Username ORCID Committee Chair Keane, Christopher crkcity@pitt.edu CRKCITY UNSPECIFIED Committee Member Degenholtz, Howard degen@pitt.edu DEGEN UNSPECIFIED
Date:	December 2015
Date Type:	Publication
Submission Date:	23 November 2015
Access Restriction:	No restriction; Release the ETD for access worldwide immediately.
Publisher:	University of Pittsburgh
Institution:	University of Pittsburgh
Schools and Programs:	School of Public Health > Behavioral and Community Health Sciences
Degree:	MPH - Master of Public Health
Thesis Type:	Master Essay
Refereed:	Yes
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Hospice, Length, of, stay
Date Deposited:	19 May 2016 16:10
Last Modified:	30 Mar 2022 11:58
URI:	http://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/id/eprint/26680

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• Factors that affect length of stay in a non-profit hospice. (deposited 19 May 2016 16:10) [Currently Displayed]

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