How satisfied are mothers with 1-day hospital stays for routine delivery?

CONTEXT: Payers and health plans are encouraging shorter hospital stays after routine vaginal delivery. OBJECTIVE: To assess the satisfaction of mothers who had 1-day or 2-day stays after routine delivery. DESIGN: We mailed questionnaires to mothers 7 to 9 months after delivery. The self-administered survey contained questions about the mothers' satisfaction with the care they received, clinical complications, and the mothers' preparedness after discharge. SETTING: A mixed-staff, network-model managed care plan in Minnesota that encourages but does not require 1-day hospital stays after routine delivery. PARTICIPANTS: All plan members who delivered a baby vaginally in the first quarter of 1995 (n = 1009). RESULTS: 56% of the mothers responded to the survey. Of these, 202 had 1-day stays and 292 had 2-day stays. Mothers with 1-day stays were more likely than mothers with 2-day stays to report that their length of stay was "too short" (75% vs. 37%; P < 0.001), and 81% of mothers with 1-day stays would want to stay longer if they had another child. The frequency of self-reported maternal or infant complications did not differ substantially between the two groups. More mothers with 1-day stays than mothers with 2-day stays received home health care visits (44% vs. 10%; P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Although length of stay does not seem to be related to clinical outcomes after vaginal delivery, mothers with 1-day stays are less satisfied with their length of stay.

Patient equipment management: integrating a flexible alternative to purchase or lease.

As hospital CSS and OR departments work together to manage patient equipment, alternatives to purchase are available that can provide them with needed flexibility and responsiveness. A rental equipment provider that can meet the standards demanded for quality health care can become a valuable asset when developing and refining a hospitalwide equipment management program. But in order to receive the level of quality and service they should expect, hospitals must continually communicate their changing needs while holding their providers accountable to established standards.