Are Victorian elective surgery cases still converting from overnight to same day cases?

Abstract

The conversion rate on a diagnosis related group (DRG)-standardised basis of Victorian private overnight (ON) elective surgery cases to same day (SD) cases declined from 4.7% per annum over 1996?97 to 1998?996 to 2.5% per annum over 1998?99 to 2002?03. Similar analysis within the Victorian public sector shows a decline from 3.8% per annum over 1996?97 to 1998?996 to 1.9% over 1998?99 to 2002?03. Comparison on a DRG-standardised basis shows while the public sector continued to show a higher incidence of elective surgery SD cases than the private sector in 2002?03 (by 1.6%). The difference has declined since 1998?99 when it was 2.4%. DRG-based analysis suggests the conversion rate in both sectors and the difference in SD surgery cases between the two sectors will continue to decline. Future savings in recurrent and capital cost due to ON surgery cases becoming SD cases are likely to be much lower than savings in recent years.