Hospital Utilization and Health Care Planning

Abstract

This study evaluated changes in inpatient adult medicine and adult surgery services in the metropolitan area of Syracuse New York. These are the two largest inpatient hospital services. The study involved the use of these services as a basis for health care planning over time. The first component of the study focused on changes in hospital discharges for adult medicine and adult surgery. It demonstrated that, between the first three quarters of 2019 and 2022, before and after the coronavirus epidemic, numbers of adult medicine and adult surgery discharges declined by 16 - 21 percent. The second component of the study focused on changes in hospital lengths of stay for adult medicine and adult surgery. It demonstrated that, between the first three quarters of 2019 and 2022, hospital inpatient lengths of stay increased by approximately 19 - 21 percent at the aggregate and hospital specific levels. Effective planning involving utilization indicators such as hospital discharges and efficiency will be necessary if the potential for effective management of this sector is to be preserved. This planning should involve comparisons of data such as hospital discharges and stays, and identification of the sources of these developments at the community level.