title: Medical manuscripts impact of hospice enrollment on cost and length of stay of a terminal admission.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether hospice enrollment at the time of a terminal admission alters the length of stay (LOS) or costs compared with patients not enrolled in hospice.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective chart review of all nontraumatic inpatient deaths of patients with a previous admission in the preceding 12 months at an academic hospital.
  
  
  RESULTS
  209 patients had a nontraumatic death and an admission in the year prior to the terminal admission. Patients enrolled in hospice had a shorter LOS (P = .02) and lower cost (P < .0001) than patients not enrolled at the time of their terminal admission.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Enrollment in hospice during a terminal admission decreased cost and LOS. Hospice may be a way to provide more cost-effective, appropriate care to dying patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA. michelle-weckmann@uiowa.edu
authors.forename: Michelle T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Weckmann
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Freund
authors.forename: Camden
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bay
authors.forename: Ann
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Broderick
mesh_terms: D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D017048:Health Care Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006738:Hospices / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012189:Retrospective Studies