Length of stay
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2008-04-04T21:41:59Z
24.87.199.175
'''Length of stay (LOS)''' is a term commonly used to measure the duration of a single episode of hospitalization. Inpatient days are calculated by subtracting day of admission from day of [[discharge]]. However, persons entering and leaving a hospital on the same day have a length of stay of one. (See [[hospital#Terminology|hospital]].)
A popular statistic associated with length of stay is the '''average length of stay (ALOS)''', calculated by dividing the sum of inpatient days by the number of patients admitted with the same [[Diagnosis-related group|DRG]] classification.
The [[Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services]] [[Medicare (United States)#Payment_for_services|prospective payment system]] for reimbursing [[hospital]] care promotes shorter LOS by paying the same amount for procedures, regardless of days spent in the hospital.
[[Category:Medical terms]]
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