title: Changes in Length of Stay for Neurological Geriatric Diseases in Korea between 2003 and 2007.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The elderly population and the prevalence of stroke, dementia, and Parkinson's disease are increasing rapidly in Korea. The aim of this study was to establish the length of stay (LOS) for neurological geriatric diseases, and analyze this parameteraccording to healthcare institutions.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used data from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service from 2003 to 2007. Nineteen neurological geriatric diseases were classified into four groups: dementia, cerebral hemorrhage, cerebral infarction, and Parkinson's disease. LOS was analyzed according to gender, age, insurance type, disease group, and type of healthcare institution.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The LOS for neurological geriatric diseases lengthened from 5,550,193 days (10.8% of the total National Health Insurance admission days) in 2003 to 14,749,671 days (19.7%) in 2007. The mean LOS was 40.8 days in 2003, and lengthened to 71.2 days in 2007. After stratification by disease group, the mean LOS for long-term-care hospitals lengthened by 1.43 times (from 81.7 to 116.6 days) in the cerebral infarction group, 1.35 times (from 85.6 to 115.2 days) in the cerebral hemorrhage group, and 1.28 times (from 82.7 to 105.7 days) in the Parkinson's disease group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The LOS for neurological geriatric diseases has lengthened markedly, which isdue to an increasesin the number of hospitalized patients and the mean LOS, which have increased most rapidly in long-term-care hospitals. These results may be useful in developing geriatric health policies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, Konkuk University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Hyeong Su
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Kun Sei
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Hee-Joon
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Bae
authors.forename: Im-Seok
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Koh
authors.forename: Soung Hoon
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Do-Hui
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Im
authors.forename: Jae-Hyeok
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Heo
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