title: Artificial neural network predictions of lengths of stay on a post-coronary care unit.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To create and validate a model that predicts length of hospital unit stay.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ex post facto. Seventy-four independent admission variables in 15 general categories were utilized to predict possible stays of 1 to 20 days.
  
  
  METHODS
  Laboratory.
  
  
  METHODS
  Records of patients discharged from a post-coronary care unit in early 1993.
  
  
  RESULTS
  An artificial neural network was trained on 629 records and tested on an additional 127 records of patients. The absolute disparity between the actual lengths of stays in the test records and the predictions of the network averaged 1.4 days per record, and the actual length of stay was predicted within 1 day 72% of the time.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The artificial neural network demonstrated the capacity to utilize common patient admission characteristics to predict lengths of stay. This technology shows promise in aiding timely initiation of treatment and effective resource planning and cost control.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, Oklahoma City 73190, USA.
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Mobley
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Leasure
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Davidson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000451:nursing; D005260:Female; D006757:Hospital Units / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016571:Neural Networks, Computer; D011336:Probability; D012189:Retrospective Studies