News: Hospital patient volumes dip, margins improved as flu season ends, report shows

CDI Strategies - Volume 19, Issue 20

Hospital dischargers per calendar day and adjusted daily discharges were down 5% and 4% month-over-month in March, according to the latest National Hospital Flash Report by Kaufman Hall. Equivalent patient days per calendar day also dropped by 4%, and operating room minutes per calendar day fell the same percentage, though average length of stay was flat, HealthLeaders reported.

This drop was attributed to fewer seasonal flu and other respiratory illness cases, which led to a decline in the cost of delivering care while revenue stayed the same since February. Hospitals saw a slight improvement in operating margins, with total expense per calendar day dipping by 4% compared to February, which looks to be driven by non-labor expense per calendar day falling by 7%.

Costs are still up 7% compared to March 2024, however, which is attributed to supply and drugs expenses per calendar day both increasing by 11% year-over-year. Looking forward, Kaufman Hall recommended that hospitals continue to look for ways to capitalize on efficiencies in a challenging financial climate.

“Hospitals need to remain vigilant about their expenses, especially as the United States enters a period of economic and policy uncertainty,” said Erik Swanson, managing director and data and analytics group leader with Kaufman Hall, in a statement. “With revenue largely flat, finding efficiencies that can reduce expenses is mission critical.”

Editor’s note: To read HealthLeaders’ coverage of this story, click here. To access the Kaufman Hall report, click here.

Found in Categories: 
Clinical & Coding, News