title: A review of bed utilisation in the west of Ireland.
abstract: To ensure efficient use of Irish acute hospitals, the study aimed to assess the appropriateness of admission and days of care. The Appropriateness Evaluation Protocol (AEP) was applied to a stratified random sample of 286 medical and surgical, elective and non-elective patients from four acute hospitals in the west of Ireland. A total of 23 patients (8%) were inappropriately admitted. Of these 15 (65%) could have been avoided. Of the 34 elective/booked admissions, seven (21%) were inappropriate in terms of location of surgery criteria. Over three quarters of elective patients (77%) were admitted one or more days prior to surgery which was not justified for 13 (57%) of these patients. Over a quarter of days of care (n = 73, 26%) were inappropriate. Evidence of discharge planning was found for 48% of patients. The study provides a benchmark to monitor progress. Existing policies and programmes should be implemented and monitored.
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Corcoran
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kiernan
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Glacken
mesh_terms: D006769:Hospitals, General / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007494:Ireland; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010351:Patient Discharge / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014600:Utilization Review