Examining the relationship between poverty and length of stay: a repeated cross-sectional study of paediatric hospitalisations in Chile.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To measure poverty-based disparities in inpatient length of stay for paediatric hospitalisations. In particular, this paper examines the relationship between municipality level poverty rates and length of stay, accounting for individual level characteristics.

Design

We use patient discharge data to conduct a repeated cross-sectional study of the totality of paediatric hospitalisations in 15 regions of Chile, in the years 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2017.

Setting

All hospital discharges in 15 regions of Chile.

Participants

1 033 222 discharges for children under the age of 15, between 2011 and 2017.

Outcome measures

Length of stay (LOS); LOS by type of insurance and type of hospital; hospitalisation rates; municipality-level average LOS.

Results

SUBMITTER: Borrescio-Higa F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7430491 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature