News Releases

Report Examines Hospital Observation Status, 2015 - 2016 Influenza Season

A recently published Key Indicators Report on hospital market trends by The Center for Health Affairs examines the drop in hospital observation status and the impact of the 2015-16 influenza season on hospital volumes during the first quarter of 2016. Additionally, the report highlights the decrease in inpatient surgical cases and total patient days for providers in Northeast Ohio. Continuing to grow as it has for several quarters is the number of patients seeking outpatient surgical services; in Northeast Ohio, there were 3,125, or 5.35 percent, more outpatient surgeries during the first quarter of 2016 than there were in 2015.

Despite three years of first-quarter growth, the number of patients considered observation status declined during the first quarter of 2016 for Northeast Ohio hospitals. One possible explanation, as the report highlights, is the passage of the Notice of Observation Treatment and Implication for Care Eligibility Act, or NOTICE Act, which requires hospitals to notify patients when they are considered observation status.

The Key Indicators Report provides analysis based on data collected from its Volume Statistics program. For more information on the decrease in observation status or the impact of the 2015-16 influenza season on hospital volumes, please contact George Jeney at 216.255.3666 or via email or Tony Gutowski at 216.255.3610 or via email.