The process of determining the duration of a patient’s occupancy within a healthcare facility involves a computation based on admission and discharge dates. For example, if a patient is admitted on January 1st and discharged on January 5th, the result of this computation is a stay of four days.
Accurate determination of the occupancy period is crucial for resource allocation, financial management, and quality of care analysis. It provides insights into facility utilization, supports effective bed management, and informs staffing decisions. Historically, this data point has been a fundamental metric in evaluating healthcare system efficiency and patient flow, allowing institutions to compare performance over time and against benchmarks.