PENNSYLVANIA STUDY Complications increased hospital stays, charges

Hemorrhagic-stroke patients were the most likely to be readmitted.
HARRISBURG (AP) -- Patients treated in Pennsylvania hospitals for 18 different conditions during a recent one-year period spent a total of more than 93,000 extra days in the hospital because of complications or infections, resulting in additional charges of $410 million, says a new report from a state agency.
The procedures studied included treatment for pneumonia, abnormal heartbeats, hip fractures and hysterectomies at 168 Pennsylvania hospitals for the year ending Sept. 30, 2002.
In general, the rate of a patient's readmission for any reason moved up slightly from 2001 to 2002 in five of the eight procedures or treatments that were studied in both years, according to the annual report, released by the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council.
Rates of readmission because of complications and infection increased slightly from 2001 to 2002 in five of the eight categories that were studied both years.
Within the procedures or treatments studied, readmission rates sometimes varied widely among hospitals. The variations were dramatic enough that officials at individual hospitals should be able to judge where improvement is needed, council spokesman Joe Martin said.
'Potentially avoidable'
"A number of studies indicate that many of these types of situations are potentially avoidable," Martin said.
This is the second year that the council has studied the rate of readmission due to infection and complications.
Hemorrhagic-stroke patients were the most likely to be readmitted because of complications or infection, with a statewide average of 7.7 percent that was up from 6.9 percent in 2001.
Readmission rates due to complications or infection for abdominal aortic aneurysm repairs, congestive heart failures, open gallbladder removals, and vaginal hysterectomies showed small increases from 2001 to 2002, the council said.
Patients hospitalized for poisoning or toxic effects of drugs had the lowest rate of readmission at just under 1 percent for complications and infection, according to the report. Data for that condition was not collected the previous year.
Benefits of study
Examining readmission rates can give prospective patients an idea of how successfully they will be treated for a particular illness, and how likely they would be to incur additional costs for treatment at a particular hospital, council officials say.
The report includes hospital-by-hospital figures on the average cost and length of treatment for hospitalization for 28 conditions. The council said it plans to post results for 43 additional conditions on its Web site at www.phc4.org.