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Table 3 Baseline patient and encounter-level characteristics for high cost admissions (n = 200)

From: Clinical factors contributing to high cost hospitalizations in a Canadian tertiary care centre

Variable

High cost admissions

 

n = 200

Age at Admission – Mean (SD), years

69 (15)

Male

92 (46%)

Admitted route

Emergent

146 (73%)

Urgent

20 (10%)

Elective

34 (17%)

Elixhauser Comorbidity Score - Mean (SD)

7.1 (6.6)

Total LOS (days) - Median (IQR)

27 (18–48)

Acute LOS (days) - Median (IQR)

21 (14–31)

ICU Days

>0

58 (29%)

Median (IQR)

9 (6–14)

ALC Days

>0

65 (33%)

Median (IQR)

29 (17–40)

Total Cost (CDN) - Median (IQR)

$35,438 ($23,963–$54,075)

Discharge disposition

Died

28 (14%)

Home

38 (19%)

Home with supportive services

53 (27%)

Other acute care facility

16 (8%)

Long-term care

62 (31%)

Other

3 (2%)

Reason for admission

Cancer

12 (6%)

Complex medical

98 (49%)

Elective surgery

28 (14%)

Emergent surgery

28 (14%)

Maternal

2 (1%)

Social

9 (5%)

Trauma

23 (12%)

Complications

119 (60%)

Services delay

78 (39%)

Disposition delay

105 (53%)

Inefficient clinical decision-making

25 (13%)

Inpatient encounters in 365 days post discharge

Total accumulated inpatient days - Mean (SD)

15 (33)

0 visits

112 (56%)

1 visit

51 (26%)

2 visits

19 (10%)

3 visits

12 (6%)

4+ visits

6 (3%)

  1. Abbreviations: ALC Alternate Level of Care, ICU Intensive Care Unit, IQR Inter-quartile Range, LOS Length of Stay, SD Standard Deviation