title: Patient variables impacting hospital costs from 2008 to 2010.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Studying the variables associated with the increased costs of health care provides valuable insight.
  
  
  METHODS
  A review and analysis of the pertinent variables and information collected for 118.3 million hospital admissions recorded as Nationwide Inpatient Samples database was done for the years 2008 to 2010. We used hospital charges as an approximation of costs in the analysis of the patient variables and other factors contributing to hospital costs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The top 5 factors with the most impact on charges were diagnostic category, length of stay, number of procedures, major operating room procedures, and ownership of the hospital.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The top 5 factors with the most impact on charges were length of stay, number of procedures, major diagnostic category, major operating room procedures, and ownership of the hospital.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, The University of Toledo, Toledo, OH.
authors.forename: Brett
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Aplin
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, The University of Toledo, Toledo, OH. Electronic address: munier.nazzal@utoledo.edu.
authors.forename: Munier
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nazzal
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, The University of Toledo, Toledo, OH.
authors.forename: Weikai
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Qu
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, The University of Toledo, Toledo, OH.
authors.forename: Gerald
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zelenock
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, The University of Toledo, Toledo, OH.
authors.forename: Viviane
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kazan
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, The University of Toledo, Toledo, OH.
authors.forename: Jihad
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Abbas
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D017721:Hospital Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Hospital Cost; Hospital charges; Nationwide inpatient samples database; factors; patient data; patients variables