Minimum nurse staffing legislation and the financial performance of California hospitals.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To estimate the effect of minimum nurse staffing ratios on California acute care hospitals' financial performance.

Data sources/study setting

Secondary data from Medicare cost reports, the American Hospital Association's (AHA) Annual Survey, and the California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD) are combined from 2000 to 2006 for 203 hospitals in California and 407 hospitals in 12 comparison states.

Study design

The study employs a difference-in-difference analytical approach. Hospitals are grouped into quartiles based on pre-regulation nurse staffing levels in adult medical-surgical and pediatric units (quartile 1=lowest staffing). Differences in operating margin, operating expenses per day, and inpatient operating expenses per disch

SUBMITTER: Reiter KL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3337946 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature