A two-compartment mixed-effects gamma regression model for quantifying between-unit variability in length of stay among children admitted to intensive care.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To quantify between-unit variability in mean length of stay (LoS) between intensive care units (ICUs) after adjusting for differences in case mix using a method that does not require arbitrary trimming of data.

Setting

An analysis of registry data from pediatric ICUs (PICUs) in Australia and New Zealand.

Study design

The relationships between patient LoS and associated patient factors were modeled as a log-linear function of the covariates using two gamma distributions. The predicted distribution is estimated as a weighted average of the two distributions where the relative weighting is conditional on the patient's elective status.

Data collection

Data for 12,763 admissions submitted to the Australian and New Zealand Paediatric Intensive Care Registry

SUBMITTER: Straney L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3523371 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature