title: Economic aspects of the perinatal hospital stay.
abstract: This article concentrates on the economics of the perinatal hospital stay for normal vaginal and cesarean section deliveries. Published studies in the United States are reviewed under three headings: inpatient costs for traditional stays, outpatient costs for postpartum services, and costs for short stays with follow-up services. Despite the increasing attention on length of stay after delivery, there has been minimal research examining the true costs of an early discharge program and services compared with longer hospital stays. Formal analysis of alternative strategies and well-designed clinical studies are needed before an optimal policy for caring for mothers and infants can be identified.
authors.affiliation: Prudential Center for Health Care Research, Atlanta, Georgia, USA. julie.gazmararian@prudential.com
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Gazmararian
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Koplan
mesh_terms: D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000191:economics; D002585:Cesarean Section / Q000191:economics; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric / Q000191:economics*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000191:economics*; D011181:Postnatal Care / Q000191:economics*; D011247:Pregnancy