When the cardiology patient ends up in the oncology care ward
If you end up needing to go to the hospital, often times you re hoping to get a bed without having to wait hours, but a new study shows you may want to wait a little longer, so that you are placed in the best ward for your needs. New research in the upcoming INFORMS journal Management Science shows that among patients admitted to the hospital, 19.6% are placed in beds in a ward outside the area of care they require. These patients who are placed off service end up experiencing a 23% longer hospital stay and a higher chance of being readmitted within a month.