Hospital volume and outcomes for inpatients with acute myocardial infarction in Shanxi, China: A cross‐sectional study

Summary In this cross‐sectional study, we assessed the relationship between hospital volume and clinical outcomes for inpatients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in tertiary A hospitals in Shanxi, China (N = 12 931). In‐hospital mortality, length of stay (LOS), and total cost were measured. The crude in‐hospital mortality rate was 1.69%. Adjusted in‐hospital mortality was significantly lower for medium‐volume hospitals (odds ratio (OR) = 0.605, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.411‐0.900) compared with low‐volume hospitals. LOS in medium‐ and high‐volume hospitals were 0.915 (95% CI = 0.880‐0.951) and 1.069 (95% CI = 1.041‐1.098) days longer than in low‐volume hospitals, respectively. The cost of inpatients attending low‐ and high‐volume hospitals (OR = 1.180, 95% CI = 1.140‐1.221) was higher than that of medium‐volume hospitals (OR = 0.897, 95% CI = 0.868‐0.926). These results inform health care policy in countries with strained medical resources.