Shorter Hospital Stays Not Linked To Higher Readmission Rates In VA Hospitals

Shorter hospital stays are not linked to higher 30-day readmission rates, according to a review of data from the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). Over a 14-year period, for all medical diagnoses, the risk-adjusted mean hospital length of stay (LOS) at VHA facilities decreased from 5.44 days in 1997 to 3.98 days in 2010. Over the same period, the risk adjusted 30-day readmission rates at VHA hospitals for all medical diagnoses combined decreased from 16.5% to 13.8%.

The findings were released in “Associations Between Reduced Hospital Length of Stay and . . .