Impact of a nurse practitioner on the cost of managing inpatients with heart failure.
We examined the impact on hospital costs of having a nurse practitioner manage uncomplicated patients hospitalized for decompensated heart failure. This strategy was associated with a significant decrease in total hospital costs ($6,659+/-5,843 vs $5,211+/-4,137 [p < 0.03]), a trend toward decreased length of stay (4.0+/-3.0 vs 3.4+/-2.4 days [p = 0.13]), and no significant change in the 30-day readmission rate (13% of patients vs 16% of patients [p = NS]).
Dahle
K L
KL
Division of Cardiology and the School of Nursing, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.
Smith
J S
JS
Ingersoll
G L
GL
Wilson
J R
JR
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017046:Cost Savings; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000191:economics* / Q000401:mortality / Q000451:nursing; D017721:Hospital Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009722:Nurse Practitioners / Q000191:economics*; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000191:economics; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013714:Tennessee