The effect of a target date based utilization review program on length of stay

This study was conducted to determine whether implementation of a specific formalized concurrent utilization review system which involved making a prior determination of length of stay had any more effect on average length of stay than continuance of a utilization review method not involving assignment of such a target date. The system studied was the Pre-Discharge Utilization Review (PDUR) program used for Medicaid patients in Pennsylvania. Analysis was conducted using discharge abstracts for Medicaid patients under age 65 who were discharged with one of 14 common diagnoses for certain Allegheny County hospitals in 1972 and 1973. Comparisons were made for each individual diagnosis to control for possible differences in case mix. Results indicate that there was no general reduction in length of stay which could be attributed to the PDUR program.