title: [Appropriate use of hospital days in medical wards].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study evaluated the incidence of inappropriate use of bed days in Danish medical wards using the European Appropriateness Evaluation Protocol (AEP). Several European countries have used the AEP to assess the appropriateness of hospitalisation days.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was carried out in four Danish medical wards from October 2004 to January 2005. On pre-selected days a doctor and nurse performed case record analyses of all hospitalised patients with registration of the AEP criteria. To assess activities during the entire day, the screening comprised activities from the previous day.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Altogether, 738 patients were reviewed. On average, 32.1% of hospitalisation days on the four wards were assessed as inappropriate (range 19.2-39.2%). Lack of alternative facilities (different outpatient services, rehabilitation, home nursing, etc.) and internal waiting time for diagnostic tests were the most common causes of inappropriate bed use. 6.4% of bed days were considered appropriate from a clinical point of view even though no AEP criteria were met.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In order to reduce the number of inappropriate hospital days, it is necessary to optimise the cooperation with the primary health care sector and ensure immediate availability of diagnostic tests.
authors.affiliation: pqlr@stofanet.dk
authors.forename: Lisbeth
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rasmussen
authors.forename: Dorte
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Münter
authors.forename: Charlotte
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bøttcher
authors.forename: Oli
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Jacobsen
authors.forename: Kiss
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Larsen
authors.forename: Henrik
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Marcussen
authors.forename: Marianne Kleis
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Møller
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nørregaard
authors.forename: Bente
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Nørskov
mesh_terms: D003718:Denmark; D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D005060:Europe; D006300:Health Services Misuse; D006748:Hospital Departments / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007388:Internal Medicine; D007902:Length of Stay; D010343:Patient Admission; D010347:Patient Care Planning / Q000458:organization & administration*; D014600:Utilization Review / Q000379:methods*; D014850:Waiting Lists