A large-scale study reveals 24-h operational rhythms in hospital treatment.

ABSTRACT: Hospitals operate 24 h a day, and it is assumed that important clinical decisions occur continuously around the clock. However, many aspects of hospital operation occur at specific times of day, including medical team rounding and shift changes. It is unclear whether this impacts patient care, as no studies have addressed this. We analyzed the daily distribution of ∼500,000 doses of 12 separate drugs in 1,546 inpatients at a major children's hospital in the United States from 2010 to 2017. We tracked both order time (when a care provider places an electronic request for a drug) and dosing time (when the patient receives the drug). Order times were time-of-day-dependent, marked by distinct morning-time surges and overnight lulls. Nearly one-third of all 103,847 orders for treatment were pla

SUBMITTER: Ruben MD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6800314 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature