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Summary of Statistical Brief

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Summary of Statistical Brief
The statistical brief selected for review presents data determined by the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) regarding the nature of inpatient stays in community hospitals throughout the United States in 2012. This is extremely important information as according to Weiss and Elixhauser (2014), hospital inpatient healthcare accounts for nearly a third of all health care spending in the United States. With the general trend indicating overall population growth (Weiss and Elixhauser, 2014) and a greater number of geriatric patients with chronic health concerns, it is essential to determine if costly hospital stays will increase, decline or remain the same when there is an emphasis placed on outpatient treatment. Therefore, this data has a large impact on all American citizens and is also a major economic concern.
The data that was analyzed was presented in six charts and/or graphs. The first table incorporated in the study examines the number and rate of hospital stays, length of stay, and costs by patient, payer, community income, and hospital characteristics for 2012. Figure one illustrates the distribution of inpatient stays by patient age group, primary payer, hospital region, and type of stay. This figure also categorizes if the hospital stays are surgical, medical or maternal/neonatal. Figure two depicts the distribution of inpatient stays by primary payer for the years 2003, 2008, and 2012. Figure three shows the classification of hospital stays in each area of the country for every 1,000 people based on 2012 U.S. Census information. Figure four illustrates, the average annual percentage change in hospital inpatient utilization and inflation-adjusted costs for the years 2003-2008 and 2008-2012. Figure five shows the rate of inpatient stays and change over time by patient age for the years 2003-2012 (Weiss and Elixhauser, 2014). The major highpoints determined from the data are there were 36.5 million hospital stays in the

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U.S. in 2012 (Weiss and Elixhauser, 2014). Most patients remained in the hospital for 4.5 days with that stay generally costing $10,400 each day (Weiss and Elixhauser, 2014). In addition, from 2003 to 2008 the overall incidence of hospitalization diminished by roughly 0.3 percent each year and by 1.9 percent from 2008 to 2012 (Weiss and Elixhauser, 2014). Also, inflation-adjusted hospital expenses rose by 1.8 percent each year from 2003 to 2012 (Weiss and Elixhauser, 2014).
The aim of this statistical brief was to determine if overall hospital stays had increased, declined or remained the same as the result of a focus by the health care industry on outpatient care. After reviewing an article by Kutscher, (2012), it appears outpatient treatment has become much more prevalent and does have a direct correlation with the decreasing amount of hospital stays in addition to the increased inflation costs. While hospitals used to account for 90 percent of all procedures, outpatient facilities have decreased this rate by nearly half (Kutscher, 2012). This is for a number of reasons including pressure by health care companies to decrease costs, a larger older population that seeks continual care for chronic illness management, new technology that reduces the need for invasive surgical treatments and the promotion of overall health and wellness so minor issues are dealt with before they become a problem. What is not really discussed in analyzing the data from the statistical brief, but is presented is the higher incidence of hospital stays for people from lower income communities. There is certainly a link between this group and access to health care, as many of these outpatient centers are situated in higher income areas. Many are now even including malls and pharmacies, rather like a city unto itself. Rather than worrying about the cost of taking care of the American elderly, the government should be reviewing the cost of caring for its poorer citizens. The income gap is

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growing as the middle class is shrinking, so the impact of this situation on the American economy should be examined.
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References

Kutscher, Beth. (August 4, 2012). Outpatient care takes the inside track. Modern Healthcare.
Retrieved from
http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20120804/MAGAZINE/308049929.
Weiss, Audrey J. and Elixhauser, Anne. (October, 2014). Overview of Hospital Stays in the
United States, 2012. Retrieved from http://www.hcup-us.ahrq.gov/reports/statbriefs/sb180-Hospitalizations-United-States-2012.jsp.