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Average length of stay

  1. Average length of stay is computed by dividing the (total) number of days in inpatient or acute care institutions by the number of discharges (or admissions).

    Whether the day of admission and the day of discharge are counted as one (i.e. the nights are actually counted) or two, differs among countries. This may not only lead to a difference of one day but to an even larger difference as in the first instance, day cases are automatically excluded, while in the latter they may be counted as 1-day stays.
    Which system is used, is not always reported and international comparisons should therefore treated with caution.

    Reference: European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies. Glossary. Internet. Accessed September 8, 2009. Available at http://www.euro.who.int/observatory/Glossary/TopPage


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