S129 LENGTH OF STAY AS AN INDICATOR OF THE EFFICIENCY OF HOSPITAL CARE FOR COPD

G. Tack, P. P. Walker, E. Thompson, H. Crone, G. Flatt, M. G. Pearson. Aintree Health Outcomes Partnership, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the second most common reason for emergency medical admission. The National COPD Resources and Outcomes Project (NCROP) audit in 2003 and 2008 showed that length of stay (LOS) varies widely, and National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines suggest that early discharge schemes offer opportunities to reduce the burden.

We used the Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) to identify all patients admitted with a COPD exacerbation to 149 English acute Trusts in 2006–7 and 2007–8. We analysed whole admissions not episodes. LOS rises in a non-linear fashion with age, so we controlled for age by comparing each admission LOS with that expected for each …