What question did this study set out to answer?

To determine whether short-run fluctuations in monthly hospital admissions across diagnostic categories reflect systematic rationing during periods of high bed occupancy.

January 1, 1971Journal of Political Economy

Patterns of Hospital Use: An Analysis of Short-Run Variations

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To determine whether short-run fluctuations in monthly hospital admissions across diagnostic categories reflect systematic rationing during periods of high bed occupancy.
Analyzed monthly hospital utilization and occupancy records across 35 distinct diagnostic categories.
Compared changes in admission volumes and patient lengths of stay relative to periods when occupancy exceeded normal operating thresholds.
Admissions significantly increased in seven diagnostic categories and decreased in six categories when monthly occupancy exceeded standard limits.
The six declining categories comprised postponable or discretionary admissions that exhibited below-average lengths of stay.
The seven increasing categories had above-average lengths of stay, demonstrating that rationing discretionary admissions during high occupancy intensified bed utilization by elevating average stay durations.

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Implication

Observational analysis reveals diagnostic admission rationing during peak occupancy in hospitalized cohorts, indicating that prioritizing urgent cases paradoxically lengthens average hospital stay.

Cite This Study

John Rafferty (1971) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a71b3abce524a4339c51acf https://doi.org/10.1086/259730

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Implication

Observational analysis reveals diagnostic admission rationing during peak occupancy in hospitalized cohorts, indicating that prioritizing urgent cases paradoxically lengthens average hospital stay.

Patterns of Hospital Use: An Analysis of Short-Run Variations

Key Points

Discussion

Implication

Cite This Study

Patterns of Hospital Use: An Analysis of Short-Run Variations

Key Points

Discussion

Implication

Cite This Study

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