Physicians in a small rural hospital are reluctant to discharge older adult patients because many of the patients live more than an hour's drive from the hospital.Also,many of the patients lack the resources to travel these long distances for follow-up care.The hospital administration pressures the physicians to discharge patients sooner and to be more consistent with the number of hospitalization days specified within the diagnosis-related groups.Which of the following would most likely prompt the action of administrators?
A) The hospital is incurring a deficit related to a gap between the resource intensity weight (RIW)and the case mix groups (CMGs)in relation to costs of care.
B) Local home care services are expressing concern about the increased numbers of acutely ill patients being discharged into their care.
C) The resource-based relative scale for physicians does not account for the increased length of stay.
D) Patients who need acute care are being denied entry to the hospital because of the increased stay of patients in general.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The hospital administration is likely to be prompted to action by a financial concern, and option A suggests a deficit related to the hospital's handling of patient discharges. Option B does not suggest a financial concern, option C is specific to physicians' pay scales and not relevant to the hospital administration's concerns, and option D does not give specific information about any financial issues.

Physicians in a Small Rural Hospital Are Reluctant to Discharge