Appropriate length of extended day care.
Extended day care (EDC) is a one-day admission spending one night in hospital. Many EDC patients do not need hospital care over night, so probably they could be transferred to a day surgery setting, resulting in decreased costs and increased efficiency. The objectives of the study were to assess the appropriate length of extended day care (ALED) and a possible transfer to day surgery. ALED was defined as the time between the start of the surgical procedure and the final moment appropriate hospital care was provided. About 80 per cent of the patients could possibly have been treated in day surgery. The other patients could not be transferred, because of a prolonged ALED. With the implementation of new policies on admission to and discharge from the hospital and the use of altered types of operation room scheduling or patient logistics the transfer of most EDC patients to day surgery would be possible.
Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Medical Technology Assessment, University Hospital Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Lambert J G G
LJ
Panis
Frank W S M
FW
Verheggen
Peter
P
Pop
Martin H
MH
Prins
D015331:Cohort Studies; D006779:Hospitals, Public / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards; D007902:Length of Stay; D009313:National Health Programs; D009426:Netherlands; D009551:Night Care; D010343:Patient Admission; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care