Re-Justification for Reducing the Length of Hospital Stay Based on Community-Based Appraisal of Functional Recovery of Cerebrovascular Disease Patient

Abstract

Background: Because longer length of hospital stays (LOS) have been recognized to pose a significant economic burden on society, attempts to reduce LOS in acute care hospitals have been implemented to improve the efficiency of care. However, few studies have quantitatively measured the inherent effect of LOS on patient functional recovery in acute care settings. To determine whether a reduction in LOS is justified, we tested whether a longer LOS is associated with the deterioration of functional recovery in patients with nontraumatic cerebrovascular disease (CVD).