Abstract
This study examines projected surgical and medical bed needs for 1974 in Connecticut’s general hospitals. The federal method for determining needs, based on fixed occupancy rates, is compared with an alternative based on probabilities of overcrowding. Bed needs were equal when the two methods were applied on an individual hospital basis. For groups of hospitals in health service areas, the alternative indicated potential reductions in planned beds. Under the Federal plan the 1969 base of 8,976 beds should be increased to 9,578. This is 765 more beds than estimated as adequate by the alternative approach. When allowances are made for excess beds already constructed, the federal plan indicates a need for 469 more beds than does the alternative. Daily additions to per patient charges attributable to federally planned excess beds is estimated to lie between $4 and $10. These findings are significant for people concerned with methods for reducing hospital costs.
Highlights
Hospital planners in the United States are faced with a problem of meeting increasing demand for hospital services at optimal savings.For quality health care,more equipment and more personnel--such as specialists, paramedicals and researchers—are said to be needed.resistance from traditional funding sources--consumers, philanthropists and government--is growing
The measure used by most federal hospital planners to determine whether a hospital's size adequately provides for expected needs is the hospital's occupancy rate (OR)> which is the number of beds used as a percentage of beds available
Hospital bed needs in 1974 as determined by a federal formula—based on optimum occupancy rates—and by an alternative approach--based on as sumed patient arrivals—showed that when hospitals were considered to oper ate independently,the two approaches yielded approximately similar results
Summary
For groups of hospitals in health service areas, the alternative indicated potential reductions in planned beds. Under the Fed eral plan the 1969 base of 8,976 beds should be increased to 9,578. This is 765 more beds than estimated as adequate by the alternative approach. When allowances are made for excess beds already constructed, the federal plan indicates a need for 469 more beds than does the alternative. Additions to per patient charges attributable to federally planned excess beds is estimated to lie between $4 and $10. These findings are significant for people concerned with methods for reducing hospital costs
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