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Impact of early discharge planning and case management on length of hospital stay for children with acquired brain injury
Author(s) -
Sakzewski Leanne,
Ziviani Jenny,
Swanson Cheryl
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
australian occupational therapy journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.595
H-Index - 44
eISSN - 1440-1630
pISSN - 0045-0766
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-1630.1996.tb01846.x
Subject(s) - glasgow coma scale , medicine , retrospective cohort study , intervention (counseling) , univariate analysis , emergency medicine , coma (optics) , pediatrics , multivariate analysis , surgery , psychiatry , physics , optics
The aim of this study was to determine the impact of co‐ordinated management and early discharge planning as an intervention strategy to reduce hospital length of stay for children with acquired brain injury. Data for children admitted to the Royal Children's Hospital, Brisbane, between 1987 and 1993 were compared with data collected for children receiving the intervention programme from August 1993 to August 1994. In total, 99 children were included in the study, of whom 84 were retrospective and 15 were prospective patients. Age, sex, Glasgow Coma Score, mechanism of injury (traumatic vs non‐traumatic), and treatment intervention were predictor variables, and total length of hospital stay and associated hospital costs were the outcome variables. Univariate analyses were performed to determine differences between the retrospective and intervention groups and showed a highly significant difference between the two groups in relation to length of stay and total hospital costs ( P <0.001). Multiple regression analyses were carried out to determine what factors could predict length of stay. Along with the Glasgow Coma Score ( P <0.01), the intervention programme was found to be a statistically significant predictor of total hospital days ( P <0.01). A couple of issues, nevertheless, remain unanswered. These pertain to the functional status of the patient at discharge and the nature of community supports required. This study opens up an area of investigation not before undertaken in occupational therapy and points towards future studies.