DCH Provides New Data Showing Length Of Stay For Virus Patients

TUSCALOOSA, AL. — DCH Health System has been consistently fine-tuning its approach to data collection and publication, with this week seeing new data points presented to highlight the Average Length of Stay (ALOS) for COVID-19 inpatients being treated across the three-hospital system. The new information comes as the hospital system has reported a sustained drop in the total number of inpatients each day over the last week.

According to the latest DCH publication, the cumulative average stay for current inpatient cases is 7.82 days, compared to an average of 9.18 days for those who have been discharged after receiving inpatient care. The ALOS for those who have died at DCH after testing positive for the virus was 12.38 days.

For context, the system cited the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, who reports the national ALOS for non-coronavirus patients is 4.6 days.

Further explaining the numbers, DCH said a shorter stay is usually better for patients.

“Average length of stay … is also a measure of hospital efficiency and capacity,” the health system explained. “For example, a lower ALOS usually means rooms are available sooner and more patients can be treated.”

DCH also reported current inpatients cases requiring the use of a ventilator have stayed in the hospital for average of 19.45 days.

As for age groups in relation to current inpatients, the 50-64 age cohort has seen the longest average stay at 6.72 days.

IMPROVEMENT OVER THE WEEK

The new data comes as inpatient totals at DCH have seen a sustained drop over the week, with officials saying the improvement could represent the downward slope of a surge believed to be due to large gatherings during the Fourth of July holiday.

On Saturday, DCH Health System reported a total of 81 COVID-19 inpatients, with six new admits. The numbers mark a drop in totals, despite the new cases, from 84 on Friday and 109 Monday. Totals for those being treated in the system’s intensive care units (ICUs) and the number of patients on ventilators also saw consistent signs of improvement over the week.

The latest data from the Alabama Department of Public Health said Tuscaloosa County has confirmed 4,013 COVID-19 cases to date, with 298 coming in the last week. As of Saturday, 71 Tuscaloosa County residents have died from the virus.

The state health department also reported 35,785 people have been tested in Tuscaloosa County since the onset of the pandemic.