The average length of stay for 20 selected types of separations (defined using Australian Refined Diagnosis Related Groups, AR-DRGs) is regarded as an indicator of the efficiency of hospitals.
Figure 33 presents the average lengths of stay for these 20 selected AR-DRGs in public and private hospitals. There were notable differences (more than 1 day) in the average length of stay between public and private hospitals for seven of these AR-DRGs. The average length of stay for Major affective disorders age <70 without catastrophic or severe complications or comorbidities was 14.1 days for public hospitals and 18.7 days for private hospitals.
Figure 33: Average length of stay (days) for selected types of separations, public and private hospitals, 2009–10
Abbreviations: CC—complications and/or comorbidities; CSCC—catastrophic or severe complications and/or comorbidities; W/O—without.