title: Public versus private hospital maternity length of stay: a gamma mixture modelling approach.
abstract: Application of a gamma mixture model to obstetrical diagnosis-related groups (DRGs) revealed heterogeneity of maternity length of stay (LOS). The proportion of long-stay subgroups identified, which can account for 30% of admissions, varied between DRGs. The burden of long-stay patients borne was estimated to be much higher in private hospitals than public hospitals for normal delivery, but vice versa for Caesarean section. Such differences highlights the impact of DRG-based casemix funding on inpatient LOS and have significant implications for health insurance companies to integrate casemix funding across the public and private sectors. The analysis also benefits hospital administrators and managers to budget expenditures accordingly.
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Curtin University of Technology, GPO Box U 1987, Perth, WA 6845. Andy.Lee@curtin.edu.au
authors.forename: A H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Codde
authors.forename: A S K
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Ng
mesh_terms: D003953:Diagnosis-Related Groups / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006302:Health Services Research; D016304:Hospitals, Private / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006779:Hospitals, Public / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008427:Maternal Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015233:Models, Statistical; D009313:National Health Programs; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000145:classification* / Q000453:epidemiology; D014904:Western Australia / Q000453:epidemiology