Hospital ownership of post-acute care: does it increase access to post-acute care services?

This study examines the relationship of hospital characteristics and access to post-acute care (PAC) using a comprehensive database that combines hospital characteristics with clinical and demographic information of patients. The data was drawn from 52 hospitals in three urban areas--Minneapolis/St. Paul, Houston, and Pittsburgh--and 2,572 patients within five diagnosis-related groups (DRGs). The analysis found hospital ownership of post-acute care significantly associated with use of PAC for patients discharged after hospitalization for stroke and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We found few significant hospital characteristics influencing use of PAC, but, as expected, for selected DRGs, patients were more likely to receive PAC if they were discharged from a hospital that either owned post-acute care or served a high proportion of Medicare patients. In general, patient characteristics were more consistent predictors of post-acute care use across the DRGs studied.