PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - J. C. Setrakian
AU  - K. M. Flegel
AU  - T. A. Hutchinson
AU  - S. Charest
AU  - L. Côté
AU  - MDDB. Edwardes
AU  - I. B. Corbett
TI  - A physician-centered intervention to shorten hospital stay: a pilot study
DP  - 1999 Jun 15
TA  - Canadian Medical Association Journal
PG  - 1735--1737
VI  - 160
IP  - 12
4099  - http://www.cmaj.ca/content/160/12/1735.short
4100  - http://www.cmaj.ca/content/160/12/1735.full
SO  - CMAJ1999 Jun 15; 160
AB  - BACKGROUND: Studies of length of stay (LOS) in hospital usually focus on physician-independent factors. In this study, the authors identified physician-dependent factors and tested an intervention aimed at them to determine its effect on LOS. METHODS: A prospective comparison of LOS on 2 general medical wards in a tertiary care teaching hospital before and after the intervention. The pre-intervention (control) period and the intervention period were each 4 weeks. The intervention consisted of a checklist for planning management and discharge. RESULTS: Overall, the mean LOS was shorter during the intervention period than during the control period, but the difference was not statistically significant (12.0 and 14.4 days respectively, p = 0.13). The difference was significant on ward A (11.0 v. 14.7 days respectively, p = 0.02) but not on ward B (13.0 and 14.0 days respectively, p = 0.90). INTERPRETATION: An intervention at the level of the admitting physician may help to shorten LOS on a general medical ward.