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The European Journal of Health Economics

Published in:

01-10-2013 | Original Paper

Hospital readmission among elderly patients

Author: Afsaneh Bjorvatn

Published in: The European Journal of Health Economics | Issue 5/2013

Abstract

This study investigates the incidence and determinants of hospital readmissions among elderly patients in Norway. The analyses are based on registered data on inpatient admissions to public hospitals from 1999 to 2006. During this period, mean length of stay in hospital decreased, while readmission rates increased. Probit and instrumental variable regression models are applied for the analyses. The results indicate that longer length of stay in the hospital is associated with lower probability of readmission. A patient’s age, comorbidities, and complexity of the treatment procedure are positively associated with readmissions, while higher number of diagnostic procedures negatively affects hospital readmission. Finally, patients discharged to institutions are more likely to be readmitted to the hospital.

All prices were converted to 2010 prices using consumer price index by Statistics Norway. Costs were calculated by multiplying the total number of DRG weights for readmitted patients by the payment rate per DRG (DRG weight reflects the average resources used for treatment of patients).

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Title: Hospital readmission among elderly patients
Author: Afsaneh Bjorvatn
Publication date: 01-10-2013
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in: The European Journal of Health Economics / Issue 5/2013
Print ISSN: 1618-7598
Electronic ISSN: 1618-7601
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10198-012-0426-3

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Hospital readmission among elderly patients

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