Parkinson's Disease Hospital Stay Insights: A Retrospective Analysis of Length of Stay and Contributing Factors at an Australian Tertiary Hospital

BACKGROUND: Patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) often experience longer hospital stays, leading to increased medical complications, suffering, and financial costs. OBJECTIVES: This study investigates length of stay (LOS) for patients with PD and identifies factors influencing prolonged admissions to inform future preventative strategies. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 723 PD patients accounting for 1093 admissions at a tertiary hospital over a 2-year period. Average LOS and readmission rates were compared to the general inpatient population. Multiple linear regression analysis of the hospital stay data was conducted to identify predictors with an independent relationship to LOS. RESULTS: PD patients had longer average LOS (8.73 days c.f. 3.8 days) and higher readmission rates (11.34% c.f. 6%) than the general cohort. Certain issues, including delirium, hypotension, and adverse drug events, correlated with prolonged LOS, with a more pronounced association for complications occurring during admission rather than at presentation. CONCLUSIONS: PD patients are at higher risk for extended hospital stays and readmissions. These findings highlight potential areas for intervention to reduce LOS. Future research should validate whether there is a causal relationship to inform evidence-based strategies for reducing LOS, ultimately improving patient outcomes and lowering costs.