Examining the Trends in Long Inpatient Length of Stay for Patients Admitted From New South Wales Emergency Departments 2015–2022: A State‐Wide Data Linkage Study
Retrospective cohort study reveals 33% rise in prolonged length of stay in emergency departments, suggesting factors like comorbidity and age impact diagnostics.
Key Points
Inpatient length of stay increased by 14% for long stays and 33% for prolonged stays over the study period.
Analyzing 4.5 million admissions from 2015 to 2022 shows important factors include older age, comorbidity, and mental health disorders.
Retrospective cohort study utilized linked data from New South Wales across various diagnostic categories and demographics.
These findings highlight the challenges of hospital overcrowding and potential impacts on emergency department capacity.