LENGTH OF HOSPITAL STAY AND OUTCOME AFTER FEMORAL-NECK FRACTURE - A PROSPECTIVE-STUDY COMPARING THE PERFORMANCE OF 2 HOSPITALS

Length of hospital stay and outcome after femoral neck fracture were c ompared in a prospective study between two adjacent hospitals. In matc hed populations, mean length of stay was 30.8 days at Hospital X and 1 5.7 days at Hospital Y. Need for rehousing, age over 80 years and new nursing home placement prolonged length of stay at Hospital X, but not at Hospital Y Hospital X had an orthopaedic rehabilitation ward and r eturned 88 per cent of patients to their own home, placing 9 per cent admitted from home in nursing homes. Hospital Y returned 76 per cent o f patients to their own home and 19 per cent to nursing homes. The rap id discharge policy of Hospital Y saved significant resources within t he acute hospital at the expense of returning significantly fewer pati ents to their own homes.