Calculating & Reporting Healthcare Statistics Second Edition Chapter 5 Length of Stay.

Calculating & Reporting Healthcare Statistics

Second Edition

Chapter 5Length of Stay

©2006 All rights reserved.

Length of Stay

• The number of calendar days a patient stays in the hospital, from admission to discharge

• Facility uses LOS data– In utilization management– In financial reports


Discharge Days

• Days compiled on the patient after he or she has been discharged from the hospital


Discharge Days

• Other names– Days of stay– Inpatient days of stay– Duration of inpatient hospitalization


Discharge Days

• Every day that a patient is in the hospital is counted as a discharge day except the day of discharge– The LOS for one patient is determined by

subtracting the date of admission from the date of discharge when the patient is admitted and discharged within the same month


Discharge Days

• When the stay extends beyond one or more months, days must be added to calculate the LOS– For example, for a patient admitted on

January 30th and discharged on February 4th subtract January 30 from January 31 and add the 4 days in February (31 – 30 = 1 + 4 days in February = 5 days)


Discharge Days

• The LOS is one day if the patient is admitted and discharged on the same day


Discharge Days

• Length of stay in an outpatient facility– Physician offices may be interested in

knowing how long patients wait before being admitted to an examining room


Total Length of Stay

• The sum of the days’ stay of any group of inpatients discharged during a specified period of time


Average Length of Stay (ALOS)

• The average number of days that inpatients discharged during a particular period under consideration stayed in the hospital


Average Length of Stay (ALOS)

• Formula – Total length of stay (discharge days) / Total

discharges (including deaths)


Average Newborn Length of Stay

• The average number of days that newborns discharged during a particular period under consideration stayed in the hospital


Average Newborn Length of Stay

• Formula– Total newborn discharge days / Total newborn

discharges (including deaths)


Leave of Absence Days

• A physician-authorized absence of an inpatient from a hospital or other facility for a specified period of time occurring after admission and prior to discharge

• Determined when the patient is not present at the census-taking hour

• Involves an overnight pass, thus the patient would not be present at the census-taking hour



• Usually excluded or tabulated separately when – Computing bed occupancy– Calculating inpatient service day– Preparing an inpatient census

• Insurance carriers usually do not pay for leave of absence days



• Commonly used in in hospitals that have longer lengths of stay such as – Rehabilitation– Mental health – Chronic care facility

• May be considered part of the patient’s treatment

Calculating & Reporting Healthcare Statistics Second Edition Chapter 5 Length of Stay.

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