title: Data collection methods in health services research: hospital length of stay and discharge destination.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hospital length of stay and discharge destination are important outcome measures in evaluating effectiveness and efficiency of health services. Although hospital administrative data are readily used as a data collection source in health services research, no research has assessed this data collection method against other commonly used methods.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Determine if administrative data from electronic patient management programs are an effective data collection method for key hospital outcome measures when compared with alternative hospital data collection methods.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective observational study comparing the completeness of data capture and level of agreement between three data collection methods; manual data collection from ward-based sources, administrative data from an electronic patient management program (i.PM), and inpatient medical record review (gold standard) for hospital length of stay and discharge destination.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Manual data collection from ward-based sources captured only 376 (69%) of the 542 inpatient episodes captured from the hospital administrative electronic patient management program. Administrative data from the electronic patient management program had the highest levels of agreement with inpatient medical record review for both length of stay (93.4%) and discharge destination (91%) data.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first paper to demonstrate differences between data collection methods for hospital length of stay and discharge destination. Administrative data from an electronic patient management program showed the highest level of completeness of capture and level of agreement with the gold standard of inpatient medical record review for both length of stay and discharge destination, and therefore may be an acceptable data collection method for these measures.
authors.affiliation: Monash Health, Allied Health , Melbourne, Victoria, Australia ; Monash Health, Allied Health Research Unit , Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: M N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Sarkies
authors.affiliation: Monash Health, Allied Health Research Unit , Melbourne, Victoria, Australia ; Monash University , Physiotherapy Department, Allied Health Research Unit, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: K-A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Bowles
authors.affiliation: Monash University, Allied Health Research Unit , Melbourne, Victoria, Australia ; Western Health, Allied Health , Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: E H
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Skinner
authors.affiliation: Monash Health, Allied Health , Melbourne, Victoria, Australia ; Monash University , Physiotherapy Department, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mitchell
authors.affiliation: Monash Health, Allied Health Research Unit , Melbourne, Victoria, Australia ; Monash University , Physiotherapy Department, Allied Health Research Unit, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Haas
authors.affiliation: Monash Health, Allied Health , Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.affiliation: Monash Health, Allied Health , Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Salter
authors.affiliation: Monash Health, Allied Health , Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: May
authors.affiliation: Monash Health, Allied Health , Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Markham
authors.affiliation: Monash Health, Allied Health Research Unit , Melbourne, Victoria, Australia ; Monash University , Occupational Therapy Department, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: O'Brien
authors.affiliation: Melbourne Health, Allied Health , Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Plumb
authors.affiliation: Monash Health, Allied Health Research Unit , Melbourne, Victoria, Australia ; Monash University , Physiotherapy Department, Allied Health Research Unit, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: T P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Haines
mesh_terms: D003625:Data Collection / Q000379:methods*; D057225:Data Mining; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D006291:Health Policy; D006739:Hospital Administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010351:Patient Discharge / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
keywords: Data collection; discharge destination; health services research; length of stay; research methodology
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