Cost Of Inpatient Rehabilitation Care In The Department Of Veterans Affairs, USA

Main Category: Rehabilitation / Physical Therapy
Also Included In: Veterans / Ex-Servicemen
Article Date: 14 Apr 2007 - 11:00 PDT

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We investigated the determinants of inpatient rehabilitation costs in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and examined the relationship between length of stay (LOS) and discharge costs using data from VA and community rehabilitation hospitals. We obtained this information from the Health Economics Resource Center and Decision Support System National Data Extracts.

LOS was a strong predictor of cost for VA and non-VA hospitals, while functional status at admission, measured by the Functional Independence Measure was statistically significant but added little explanatory value after controlling for LOS.

Our analyses suggest that neither data set is ideal for research on VA rehabilitation care, but researchers conducting cost-effectiveness analyses in which rehabilitation is not a primary end point will probably find an average daily cost sufficiently precise.

Researchers working in other clinical areas, such as stroke or fall prevention, may need more accurate cost estimates.

This article can be found in the Journal of Rehabilitation Research and Development Volume 43, Number 7, Page 929

About the Journal of Rehabilitation Research and Development (JRRD)

JRRD has been a leading research journal in the field of rehabilitation medicine and technology for more than 40 years. JRRD, a peer-reviewed, scientifically indexed journal, publishes original research papers, review articles, as well as clinical and technical commentary from U.S. and international researchers on all rehabilitation research disciplines. JRRD's mission is to responsibly evaluate and disseminate scientific research findings impacting the rehabilitative healthcare community.

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