
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Ben-Tovim, David I 
A1  - Elzinga, Rob 
A1  - Burgess, Phillip 
T1  - Psychiatric and substance abuse disorder diagnoses as predictors of length of hospital stay
JF  - Australian Health Review
JO  - Aust. Health Review
Y1  - 1996
VL  - 19
IS  - 4
SP  - 20
EP  - 28
KW  - 
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1071/AH960020 
N2  - The mental health and substance abuse components of AN-DRG 3 were examinedusing data from all inpatient separations in two Australian States over a two-yearperiod. Assignment to a mental health or a substance abuse diagnosis related group(DRG) predicted about 20- per cent of the variability in average length of stay ofpatients treated for such conditions. Assignment to a substance abuse DRG was amuch less robust predictor of length of hospital stay than assignment to a mental healthDRG. There was little variation between years or States. Day-only intent patientswere excluded, as were long-stay outliers identified using an inter-quartile rangetrimming process. Psychiatric DRGs are similar to a number of other non-surgicallyfocused diagnosis related groups in their capacity to predict length of hospital stay. Theyare likely to remain an important component of casemix classification systems. 
ER  -

