Characteristics of Hospital Inpatient Charges, Length of Stay, and Inpatient Mortality in Patients with Ovarian Cancer from 2002-2005

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To determine and characterize the relative impact of patient demographics on hospital inpatient charges, length of stay, and inpatient mortality in patients with ovarian cancer from 2002-2005. METHODS: A retrospective database analysis of AHRQ’s Health Care Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) Nationwide Inpatient Sample databases was conducted spanning from January 1, 2002, to December 31, 2005.Data were collected regarding age, race, payer status, median household income, location of hospital (urban/rural), comorbidities, procedures, total charges, length of stay, and inpatient mortality. Multivariate and gamma regression methods were utilized to examine incremental risks associated with length of stay, total charges, and inpatient mortality, after controlling for all other variables. RESULTS: Overall, data from 246,012 hospital admissions were obtained. The average length of stay of patients was 6.58 days (SD = 7.22), the average number of diagnoses was 7.18 (SD = 3.36), the average number of procedures performed was 2.71 (SD = 2.66). A total of 14,485 (5.9%) patients died during hospitalization. The average total charge was $29,698 (SD = $42,951). The IRR was 0.886 (95%CI, -0.105 to -0.04) for patients who were Hispanic, and 1.089 (95%CI, 0.017–0.153) for patients who were Black compared to patients who were white. When compared to patients who lived in large, metropolitan areas, the IRR was 0.88 (95%CI, -0.146 to - 0.109) for patients located in smaller, metropolitan areas, and the IRR was 0.74 (95%CI, -0.335 to -0.268) for patients located in non- urban areas. CONCLUSIONS: Patient demographics were found to have associations, both directly and indirectly, with length o