A study published in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery examined how the length of stay affected cost for total hip and knee replacement patients.
The length of stay at the hospital for total joint replacements has declined steadily over the past few decades; in 1987 the average length of stay was three weeks. By the early 2000s, the LOS dropped to five days. Now, some patients are able to return home within 24 hours of surgery.
Here are five key trends from the article:
1. The average hospital costs for total knee replacement increased to $22,837 in 2013 from $13,988 in 2002. Total hip arthroplasty hospital costs were $23,650 in 2013, an increase from $15,792 in 2002.
2. The total knee replacement LOS dropped from 4.06 days in 2002 to 2.97 days in 2013. The total hip replacement LOS dropped from 4.06 days in 2002 to 2.75 days in 2013.
3. If the length of stay at the hospital hadn't dropped from 2002 to 2013, the cost for total knee arthroplasty would have increased 70.8 percent, instead of the 52.4 percent it did increase. For total hip replacement, costs would have increased 67.4 percent instead of the 49.8 percent that they did increase.
4. Between the 2002 and 2013 time period, the number of total knee replacements were up more than 700,000 annually; total hip replacements were up more than 300,000 annually.
5. The study authors concluded, "With demographic characteristics showing an upward trend in the utilization of joint arthroplasty, including a shift toward younger population groups, reduction in length of stay remains an important target for procedure-level cost containment under emerging payment models."