Journal of hospital medicine : an official publication of the Society of Hospital Medicine
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Previous studies in adults admitted to pediatric hospitals primarily investigated associations between complex chronic condition characteristics and patient outcomes. Our study explored the association of age with length of stay (LOS) and total cost in these adults, accounting for other patient factors. ⋯ There was a significant positive association between age and total cost, with adults 18-20 years having 13% higher total cost (95% confidence interval [CI]: 12%-15%), 21-25 years with 25% higher total cost (95% CI: 22%-29%), and 25-99 years having 72% higher total cost (95% CI: 66%-79%) than 1-17 years. Our findings suggest expanding upon the existing status quo to identify the most appropriate environment to care for this unique and growing population, especially given the anticipated reduction in pediatric beds and subspecialty expertise.
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Diagnostic errors are a leading cause of patient harm. In 2022, the Leapfrog Group published a report containing 29 evidence-based practices that hospitals can adopt to reduce diagnostic errors. ⋯ The findings suggest large and important implementation gaps for practices related to diagnostic excellence and can inform new initiatives to promote diagnostic excellence in US hospitals.