[Relevance of traditional hospitalizations in an ophthalmology department].
BACKGROUND
Ophthalmological indications for traditional hospitalizations are not clearly established and should be updated with respect to both healthcare quality and economic considerations. We therefore analyzed the data of patients hospitalized in an ophthalmology department.


METHODS
We prospectively analyzed the medical and socioeconomic charts of all patients hospitalized during a 2-month period (December 2006 and January 2007) in a single ophthalmology department.


RESULTS
Over the 2 months, 349 patients were admitted (mean stay, 3 days), 324 of whom were operated. The main causes of admission were retinal detachments (n=103), injuries (n=33), endothelial cell failure (n=27), cataract (n=27), high ocular pressure (n=23), and corneal abscess (n=17). Admission was mainly guided by the surgeon's habits (n=135, 39%) and was not medically relevant but was generally motivated by financial considerations. Other hospital admissions were medically justified (intravenous injections, head positioning) but the hospitalization of patients living far from the hospital (n=46; 13%) could be limited by the development of housing made available to patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Ophthalmological hospitalization is not always medically relevant and often is based on financial or housing constraints. More than half of the classical admissions should be switched to ambulatory patient care by adapting financial compensations to surgical costs or providing outpatient housing.
Gaujoux
T
T
Service d'Ophtalmologie, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital Hôtel-Dieu, Paris, France.
Offret
O
O
Renard
G
G
Santini
Y
Y
Chauvaud
D
D
Bourges
J-L
JL
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002387:Cataract Extraction / Q000191:economics; D002648:Child; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D005128:Eye Diseases / Q000191:economics* / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006748:Hospital Departments / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010045:Outpatients; D012160:Retina / Q000601:surgery; D012163:Retinal Detachment / Q000191:economics / Q000628:therapy; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014821:Vitrectomy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data