Appropriate admission in Covid-19 era: the case study of the C.O.U. Neurology and Stroke Unit

Abstract

Hospital services absorb almost half of the costs of the health sector; therefore, it is necessary to promote the effectiveness, efficiency and appropriateness of the services provided. These concepts become even more important in the era of the CoViD-19 pandemic, where the efforts made to manage it have absorbed all hospital resources. Inappropriate hospitalization and length of stay (LOS) are the factors that impose higher costs on hospitals. This study analyzed how CoViD-19 changed the activity of the Department of Neurology and Stroke Unit of the "San Giovanni di Dio e Ruggi d'Aragona" University Hospital of Salerno (Italy). Logistic regression showed a significant increase in relative Diagnosis Related Group (DRG) weight which translates into greater appropriateness of admission diagnoses.