title: Cost/benefit analysis of hospital operations: reducing length of stay.
abstract: Today's healthcare environment continues to become more competitive. Mergers and affiliations occur at breakneck speed, and anxiety regarding managed care contracts increases. In this fast paced environment integrated hospital systems need to become more in tune with the ¿business¿ side of healthcare, which includes the cost of providing and receiving payment for health care services. Too often providers do not realize the total cost of providing care, nor do they understand the nature of payment/reimbursement for services provided. This article looks at how to analyze the cost of hospital operations from a provider's point of view.
authors.affiliation: Covenant Healthcare System, Inc., Milwaukee, WI, USA.
authors.forename: G R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Doro
mesh_terms: D017046:Cost Savings; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis / Q000379:methods*; D003953:Diagnosis-Related Groups / Q000191:economics; D005377:Financial Management, Hospital / Q000379:methods*; D017721:Hospital Costs; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000191:economics*; D012051:Reimbursement Mechanisms / Q000191:economics; D014481:United States