Effect of a patient care partnership project on cost and quality of care at an academic teaching hospital.
BACKGROUND
In 1998, the Patient Care Partnership Project was conducted by general internal medicine physicians and hospital administration in an academic health care center. The project was designed to optimize cost, quality, and service results to inpatients.


METHODS
The project focused on improved communication among physicians, a nurse discharge planner, and hospital administration regarding appropriate resource utilization. The outcomes were average cost per inpatient, length of hospital stay, 30-day readmission rates, mortality rates, and resident and patient satisfaction. Comparisons were made with three control groups.


RESULTS
The postintervention generalist-staffed services showed significant reductions in average costs per patient and length of stay. These parameters increased in the specialist group from 1997 to 1998. Readmission rates remained stable, and mortality rates actually decreased. Patient and resident satisfaction remained unchanged.


CONCLUSIONS
A collaborative effort between generalists and hospital administration led to a significant improvement in resource utilization compared with the three control groups, with no compromise in quality outcomes.
Palmer
H Carlton
HC
Department of Medicine, West Virginia University School of Medicine, Morgantown, WVa 26506, USA.
Halperin
Alan
A
Elnicki
Mike
M
Powers
Roxann
R
Kolar
Maria
M
Evans
Kim
K
Anderson
Kathleen
K
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D019090:Case Management / Q000458:organization & administration*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D017721:Hospital Costs / Q000639:trends; D018578:Hospital-Physician Relations; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007388:Internal Medicine / Q000458:organization & administration*; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000639:trends; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014903:West Virginia