Does the Day of the Week or the Time of Day Affect the Length of Stay or Readmission Rate for Pediatric Orthopedic Admissions?

PURPOSE

Health care institutions are searching for system-wide approaches to reduce costs while maintaining quality and improving patient outcomes. Hospital length of stay (LOS) and readmission rate (RR) are variables that significantly impact health care costs. This investigation aimed to determine if there was a difference in the LOS and the RR for pediatric orthopedic patients admitted overnight or during the weekend.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We analyzed 243 admissions for pediatric orthopedic surgery cases between September 2016 and August 2018 at a single-specialty orthopedic hospital. We categorized admissions into elective surgeries, infectious etiologies, and trauma and accidents. We compared the time and day of the week of admission to the average LOS and RR.

RESULTS

The mean LOS of the entire cohort was 2.93 days. The mean LOS for trauma admissions was 1.90 days, the mean LOS for elective surgeries was 3.34 days, and the mean LOS for infections was 4.11 (p = 0.00009). The mean LOS for patients admitted on a weekday was 3.00 days; the mean LOS for patients admitted on the weekend was 2.33 days (p = 0.28). The mean LOS for patients admitted between 6:00 AM and 6:00 PM was 3.12 days, and the mean LOS for patients admitted between 6:00 PM and 6:00 AM was 2.66 days (p = 0.22). The mean LOS for patients admitted during regular operating hours was 3.12 days, and the mean LOS for patients admitted during off-hours was 2.67 days (p = 0.22). The mean RR for trauma admissions was 0.0%, the mean RR for elective surgeries was 4.5%, and the mean for infections was 3.7% (p = 0.1073). The mean RR for patients admitted on a weekday was 3.2%, and the mean RR for patients admitted on the weekend was 0.0% (p = 0.37). The mean RR for patients admitted between 6:00 AM and 6:00 PM was 4.2%, and the mean RR for patients admitted between 6:00 PM and 6:00 AM was 1.0% (p = 0.15). The mean RR for patients admitted during regular operating hours was 4.2%, and the mean RR for patients admitted during off-hours was 1.0% (p = 0.14).

CONCLUSION

This study showed no relationship between the day or time of admission and the LOS or RR for pediatric orthopedic admissions. Our results support the institutional goal of maintaining operations overnight and on weekends while not compromising patient outcomes.