Context: The rates of appendiceal rupture and negative appendectomy in children remain high despite efforts to reduce them. Both outcomes are used as measures of hospital quality. Little is known about the factors that influence these rates.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground/purpose: To improve clinical results and resource utilization in the care of appendicitis in children, the authors examined the current practice and outcomes of 30 pediatric hospitals.
Methods: The Pediatric Health Information System (PHIS) database consists of comparative data from 30 free-standing Children's hospitals. The study population of 3,393 children was derived from the database by selecting the "Diagnosis Related Group Code" for appendicitis (APRDRGv12 164), ages 0 to 17 years, using discharges between October 1, 1999 and September 30, 2000.
To survive in today's competitive market, children's hospitals must make informed decisions on cost reduction and resource optimization, while maintaining the highest quality of care. The Pediatric Health Information System (PHIS) is designed to assist children's hospitals and physicians in making these types of decisions. PHIS is a detailed comparative database that gives participating hospitals and clinicians the ability to assess and improve the resources required for patient care.
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