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Occupancy rate and adverse patient outcomes in general hospitals in Thailand: A predictive study
Author(s) -
Abhicharttibutra Kulwadee,
Wichaikhum OrnAg,
Kunaviktikul Wipada,
Nantsupawat Apiradee,
Nantsupawat Raymoul
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
nursing and health sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.563
H-Index - 47
eISSN - 1442-2018
pISSN - 1441-0745
DOI - 10.1111/nhs.12420
Subject(s) - medicine , adverse effect , logistic regression , pneumonia , emergency medicine , occupancy , retrospective cohort study , ecology , biology
Patient outcomes are important indicators of the quality of care. Occupancy rate is one factor that significantly affects adverse patient outcomes. The aim of the present study was to determine factors associated with adverse patient outcomes in Thailand. A retrospective study was conducted with 146 inpatient units from 16 general hospitals. Hospital characteristics and adverse patient outcomes were recorded, and data were analyzed by using frequency, percentage, and binomial logistic regression. The results revealed that the average number of beds per hospital was 430.5 (standard deviation [SD] = 108.6), the average number of beds per unit was 27.9 (SD = 8.9), and the average occupancy rate was 81.1% (SD = 20.6, range = 28.8–133.1%). Data were adjusted for hospital size, unit type, and number of beds in each unit; a 1% increase in occupancy rate increased the likelihood of pressure ulcers by 4.3% ( P = 0.001), of hospital‐acquired pneumonia by 2.4% ( P = 0.032), and of hospital‐acquired urinary tract infections by 2.1% ( P = 0.033). The findings suggest that a higher level of occupancy rates predicted a greater likelihood of adverse patient outcomes.