Impact of physical therapy weekend coverage on length of stay in an acute care community hospital.

This study compares the length of hospital stay of a group of patients treated in a community hospital during a period of five-day-a-week physical therapy coverage with the length of stay of a similar patient group treated during a period of seven-day-a-week physical therapy coverage. Comparisons of length of stay were made between the two groups and between subgroups based on diagnosis (stroke or orthopedic disorder) and surgical versus nonsurgical status. Multiple regression analysis was used to control for other factors influencing length of hospital stay. The mean length of stay was shorter for the seven-day-a-week group, and in a few subgroups the difference in length of stay was statistically significant. The results of this study suggest that weekend physical therapy may help reduce length of hospital stay. This finding should interest individuals concerned with the cost-effective use of physical therapy, especially under hospital reimbursement systems such as the Medicare diagnosis-related group.