title: Hospital stays by diagnosis related group for neurologic patients treated medically.
abstract: We analyzed differences in hospital stays by diagnosis related group for neurologic patients treated medically in Sacramento, CA, and Syracuse, NY, between 1981 and 1984. Differences between stays were highest for DRGs with large proportions of elderly discharges, especially those with cerebrovascular disorders. Length of stay variability was also higher for DRGs with large proportions of elderly. These results suggest that extended hospital stays for neurology patients result from approaches to patient management, rather than demographic patterns, availability of hospital or long-term care beds, or the extent of health maintenance organization activity.
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D002140:California; D003953:Diagnosis-Related Groups; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000639:trends*; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000628:therapy*; D009518:New York