Impact of a Centralized Inpatient Hospice Unit in an Academic Medical Center

Briana J. Jegier, Sean O’Mahony, Julie Johnson, Rita Flaska, Anthony Perry, Mary Runge, Teri Sommerfeld

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

4 Scopus citations

Abstract

Objective: Rush University Medical Center (RUMC) and Horizon Hospice opened the first centralized inpatient hospice unit (CIPU) in a Chicago academic medical center in 2012. This study examined if there was a difference in cost or length of stay (LOS) in a CIPU compared to hospice care in scattered beds throughout RUMC. Study Design and Methods: This retrospective, cross-sectional study compared cost and LOS for patients admitted to the CIPU (n = 141) and those admitted to hospice scattered beds (SBM) throughout RUMC (n = 56). Results: The CIPU patients had a median LOS of 6.0 days versus 2.0 days for SBM patients. Conclusions: The CIPU patients had longer hospice LOS but lower hospital costs. Academic medical centers may benefit from aggregating hospice beds.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)755-759
Number of pages5
JournalAmerican Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine
Volume33
Issue number8
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 1 2016
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • academic hospital
  • costs
  • inpatient hospice unit

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Medicine

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