Better Patient Management Practices Could Reduce Length Of Stay In Va Hospitals V. HRD-85-52

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HRD-85-52 1 (1985-08-08)

handle is hein.gao/gaobabffn0001 and id is 1 raw text is:

BY THE COMPTROLLER GENERAL

Report To The Congress

OF THE UNITED STATES

Better Patient Management

Practices Could Reduce Length

Of Stay In VA Hospitals

In fiscal year 1984, the Veterans Administration (VA) spent over $8 billion to
provide health care to millions of veterans. This amount could rise sharply in
the next two decades as millions more veterans become eligible for free VA
health services. VA estimates that if it were to serve all eligible veterans
requesting care by the year 2000, it would need an additional $5.9 billion to
$24.5 billion in construction funds alone.
In conjunction with a consultant team of physicians and nurses, GAO ana-
lyzed medical files at seven VA medical centers throughout the country and
found that 43 percent of days that medical and surgical patients spent in VA
hospitals in fiscal year 1982 could have been avoided. In addition, the GAO
Chief Medical Advisor's evaluation of patients at six of these facilities in fiscal
year 1984 substantiated the consultant's findings.

GAO's review focused on opportunities to reduce lengths of stay through
more efficient patient care practices. By reducing lengths of stay in its
hospitals, VA could free beds to serve additional veterans. If the expected
increase in demand for VA medical care does occur, VA would be in a better
position to meet more of the demand with its existing supply of acute care
beds.
This report contains recommendations for establishing more efficient
patient management practices as a key step in achieving reduced length of
stay.

$7' 1 127603

111GAO/HRD-85-52
AUGUST 8, 1985