title: CONTINUUM-Activity Index: managing admission inappropriate stays in a community hospital.
abstract: The CONTINUUM-Activity Index was used as a concurrent tool to measure intensity of services delivered in an Acute Care Community Hospital. Applying these specific daily measures identified patients who did not meet admission-appropriateness criteria on the first day of care or did not meet those criteria on two days subsequent to admission. These patients had a high probability that their entire stay would be inappropriate. Action was then taken to move the care process forward, resulting in a significant reduction in inappropriate hospital days.
authors.affiliation: St. Thomas-Elgin General Hospital, Ontario.
authors.forename: D I
authors.initials: DI
authors.lastname: Atkinson
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jenkins
authors.forename: P E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Collins
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Minor
mesh_terms: D001509:Bed Occupancy; D002017:Budgets; D002170:Canada; D003211:Concurrent Review / Q000379:methods*; D003266:Continuity of Patient Care / Q000145:classification; D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D006300:Health Services Misuse; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006764:Hospitals, Community / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007297:Inpatients / Q000145:classification*; D007902:Length of Stay; D010343:Patient Admission; D010865:Pilot Projects