[The function of hallway patients in Norwegian hospitals]

Accommodation of patients in hospital hallways has been practiced in Norway for a long time. Provision of adequate patient care in a hospital corridor is challenging; both patients and staff suffer from this practice. Numerous analyses and interventions have been initiated, but have not improved the situation.

The magnitude and distribution of the hallway patient phenomenon was analyzed with data from official Norwegian statistics, and a simple model for calculating hospital financial gains of having hallway patients was developed.

Norwegian hospitals had an average of 256 hallway patients per night (five patients per hospital [2%], ranging from zero to 52 [0-10% of active beds]) from 1.5. 2006 to 31.8. 2006, according to data from the Norwegian Patient Registry. The model showed that to render the arrangement of having two or more patients accommodated in hallways unprofitable, hospitals would have to pay more than NOK 10,000 per night/hallway accommodated patient. A negative diagnosis related group (within the system of activity based financing of Norwegian hospitals) has been proposed for hallway accommodation of patients.

Hallway accommodation of patients is very profitable for hospital owners within the current financing system, and it is unlikely that this practice will be eliminated without strong financial stimuli.