NATIONAL CENTER Series 13 

For HEALTH STATISTICS I Number 3 

VITAL and HEALTH STATISTICS 

DATA FROM THE NATIONAL HEALTH SURVEY 

utilization of 

Short-Stay 

Hospitals 

by Characteristics of Discharged Patients 

United States - 1965 

Statistics are presented on patients discharged from shortstay hospitals, based on data abstracted by the Hospital 

Discharge Survey from a national sample of records of discharged patients. In this second of a series of reports dealing with 1965 data, hospital discharges, days of care, and 

average length of stay are distributed by such variables as 

age, sex, color, marital status, and discharge status. Discharge rates, daily hospital bed usage rates, and rates of 

days of care are distributed by age, sex, and marital status. 

Washington, D. C. December 1967 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF 

HEALTH, EDUCATION, AND WELFARE Public Health Service 

John W. &rdner William H. Stewart 

Secretary Surgeon Genera I 
Public Health Service Publication No. 1000~Series la-No. 3 

For sale by the Superintendent of Doonments, U.8. Govemm ent Printing Of&x, Wakington, D.C., 23402 - Price 36 cents 
NATIONALCENTERFOR HEALTHSTATISTICS 

THEODORE D. WOOLSEY, DiT.eotoT 

PHILIP S. LAWRENCE, Sc.D., Associate Di.rectot 

OSWALD K. SAGEN, PH.D.,,, A ssistant Director for Health Statistics Development 

WALT R. SIMMONS, M.A., Acting Assistant Director for Research and Scientific Deuei’opment 

ALICE M. WATERHOUSE, M.D., MedicaI Consultant 

JAMES E. KELLY; D.D.S., Dental Advisor 

LOUIS R. STOLCIS, M.A., Executive Officer 

DONALD GREEN, znformation O//ice?’ 

DIVISION OF HEALTH RESOURCES STATISTICS 

SiPgfridd A. Hoermann, Dirqtor 

Job Monroe, dssistant Director 

Peter L. Huriey, Chief, Health Facilities Statistics Branch 

Siegfried A. Hoermann, Acting Chief, Health,Manpower Statistics Br,anch 

John Monroe, Acting Chief, Hospital .Discharge Survey Branch: 

COOPERATION OF THE BUREAU OF THE CENSUS 

Under the legislation establishing the National Health Sur­

. vey, the Public Health Service is authorized to use, insofar as 

possible, the services or facilities of other Federal, State, or 

private agencies. 

In accordance with specifications established by the National Center for Health Statistics, the Bureau of the Census, 

under a contractual arrangement, participated in planning the 

survey and colle&ing the data. 

Public Health Service Publication No. 1000~Series 13-No. 3 

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 67~.61855 
------ 

----- ----- ------- 

CONTENTS 

Page 

Introduction---------------------------------------------------------- 1 

Selected Findings----------------------------------------------------- 1 

Source and Limitations of Data- __-_______ - _-_-_-_-___--__ _-____ 3 

Discharges and Discharge Rates----------------------------------------

Age, Color, andSex-------------------------------------------------

Marital Status------------------------------------------------------

Discharge Status---------------------------------------------------

Days of Care and Length of Stay----------------------------------------

Age,Sex, and Color-------------------------------------------------

Marital Status------------------------------------------------------

Discharge StaNs----------------------------------------------------

Days of Care Rates----------------------------------------------------

Age and sex--------------------------------------------------------

Ma-&& Status------------------------------------------------------

Detailed Tables-------------------------------------------------------

7 

7 

9 

10 

11 

11 

12 

13 

Append& 1. Technical Notes on Methods-- ----_---_--- 31 

Background of ‘jJ& Report------------------------------------------ 31 

Statistical Design of the Hospital Discharge Survey--------------------- 31 

General QuaLifications--------------------------------- ___-__ ----.---- 34 

R&abifity of Estimates ________________________________________----- 35 

Appendix II. Comparison of the Estimate of the Number of Discharges

From Two Slliyeys------------------------------------------------- 36 

Appendix III. Definitions of Certain Terms Used in This Report----------- 38 

Terms Relating to Hospitalization----------------------------~------- 38 

Demographic Terms------------------------------------------------ 38 
-- 

--- 

IN THIS REPORT estimates are @-ovided of the utilization of shortstay hospitals in the United States duting1965. The data, collected throzcgh 

the Hospital Discharge Survey, are based onirzfonnationabstvacted from 

the records of a subsample of discharges occurring within a national 

sampleof short-stay hospitals. An earlier report (Vital and Health Statistics, Series 13, No. 2) presented ageneral summarization of hospital 

utilization during 1965 by characteristics of discharged patients and 

hospitals. This report presents more detailed statistics onutilization in 

terms of the characteristics of the discharged patient than those presented in the earlier report. 

In this secondof a seties of yepovts dealingwith 1965 data, hospital discharges, days of care, andaverage lengthofstay aye distributed by such 

variables as age, sex, color, marital status, and dischuvge status. Dischavge Yates, daily hospital bed usage rates, and rates of days of cave 

aye distributed by age, sex, and mavital status. 

SYMBOLS 

Data not available------- _______ --_- ____ ___ 

Category not applicable------------------- . . . 

Quantity zero---- -_____________ ______ - _ 

Quantity more than 0 but less than 0.05----- 0.0 

Figure does not meet standards of 

reliability or precision------------------ * 
UTILIZATION OF 

SHORT-STAY HOSPITALS BY CHARACTERISTICS 

OF DISCHARGED PATIENTS 

Michael J. Within, Division of Health Resources Statistics 

INTRODUCTION 

This report provlaes estimates of the utilizstion of short-stay hospitals in the United States 

during calendar year 1965. An earlier report in 

this series presented a general summarizationof 

hospital utilization during 1965 by characteristics 

of discharged patients and of hospitals.l This report presents more detailed statistics on utilization in terms of the characteristics of the discharged patient than those presented in the earlier report. 

For several years, the National Center for 

Health Statistics has been publishing reports of 

the utilization of short-stay hospitals based on 

information collected in the Health Interview Survey.2 There are, however, basic differences in 

the types of hospital utilization statistics available 

from the Health Interview Survey andtheHospita1 

Discharge Survey. The Health Interview Survey 

collects statistics for selected characteristics of 

lNationa1 Center for Bealth Statistics: Utilization of shortstay hospitals, summary of nonmedical statistics. Vi$aZ and 

HealthStatistics. PHS Pub. No. 1000, Series 13-NO. 2. Public 

Health Service. Washington. U.S. Government Printing Office, 

Aug. 1967. 

2

For the most recent report on hospital utilization see: 

National Center forHealth Statistics: Hospital discharges and 

length of stay: short-stay hospitals. Vital and Health Statistics. PHS Pub. No. 1000, ‘Series lo-No. 30. Public Health 

Service. Washington. U.S. Government Printing Office, June 

1966. 

discharged patients (i.e., socioeconomic variables) which are not collected in the Hospital Discharge Survey. On the other hand, the Hospital 

Discharge Survey collects detailed medical statistics on diagnoses, surgical procedures, and 

operations which are not collected in the Health 

Interview Survey. Also, there are differences in 

coverage and data-collection techniques which 

result in substantial, but largely reconcilable, 

differences in the estimates of hospital utilization that are derived from both surveys. An 

explanation of the differences between the two 

surveys in the estimated annual number of discharges during 1965 and a reconciliation of these 

differences appear in Appendix II. 

SELECTED FINDINGS 

An estimated 29.1 million patients were discharged from short-stay hospitals during 1965. 

The average (mean) length of stay was 7.8 days 

with nearly one-half of the patients being discharged in 4 days or less. The discharge rate was 

153 per 1,000 persons in the civilian, noninstitutional population. The daily rate of hospital bed 

usage, which gives the average daily number of 

beds occupied per 100,000 persons, was about 

330. Over 97 percent of the patients were discharged alive. 

Different subgroups of the population varied 

greatly in the extent to which they utilized hospitals, In general the rates were highest and the 

1 
average length of stay longest at the oldest ages, 

Utilization was proportionately greatest for persons 75 years and over. These persons hadthe 

highest discharge rate per 1,000 persons (333), 

had the longest average length of stay (14 days), 

and on the average occupied more beds daily 

(1,281) per 100,000 persons than any other age 

group. 

Hospital utilization was proportionately lowest for persons 5-14 years of age. These persons 

had the lowest discharge rate per 1,000 persons 

(61), and occupied fewer beds daily (76) per 

100,000 persons than any other age group. Furthermore persons aged 5-14 in addition to those’ 

aged l-4 years had the shortest average length 

of stay (4.5 and 4.6 days). 

The average length of stay for males was 

8.4 days as compared with 7.5 days for females. 

However, both the discharge rate and the daily 

rate of hospital bed usage were markedly higher 

for females. The discharge rate for females was 

181 per 1,000 persons as compared with a rate 

of 124 for males; females occupied an average of 

371 beds daily per 100,000 females as compared 

with only 285 beds occupied per 100,000 males. 

Differences by’sex in the rates were due in large 

part to the episodes and days of care contributed 

by women aged 15-44 years, the age span which 

encompasses virtually all hospitalizations for 

childbirth. The discharge rates and the daily 

usage rates for females aged 15-44 were more 

than double the comparable rates for males. For 

persons aged 15-34, the discharge rates for females were triple and the daily usage ratesmore 

than 2 l/3 times the comparable rates for males. 

The trends in both the discharge rates and 

daily usage rates for males and for females also 

differed. In contrast to the regular upward trend 

shown by the rates for males in ages above the 

5-14 age group, the rates for females showed a 

secondary peak in the primary childbearing 

years of 15-34, followed by a decline, and then 

another peak at the oldest ages. 

Unmarried persons aged 15 years and over 

had an average length of stay of 10.4 days as 

compared with only 7.6 days for married persons. This’was due in part to the older age composition of unmarried persons who were hospitalized. Over 35 percent of the unmarried persons 

were aged 65 years and over as compared tii%’ 

about 13 percent of those married in that age 

group. 

Conversely, the discharge rate for married 

persons (200) was considerably higher than for 

unmarried persons (147). The daily rates of hospital bed usage were the same for married and 

unmarried persons. In summary, proportionately fewer unmarried persons were discharged 

from short-stay . hospitals, but proportionately 

more unmarried persons once they were hospitalized experienced longer lengths of stay, 

The discharge status, tihich refers to whether 

the patient was discharged alive or dead, also 

varied with age. Starting with persons aged 35-44 

years, the percent discharged alive decreased 

with advancing age. Virtually all persons 1 to 34 

years of age were discharged alive. The percent 

discharged alive was lowest for persons aged 75 

years and over (86 percent). 

The average length of stay for persons discharged by death (14.7 days) was nearly double 

that for those, discharged alive (7.6 days), Ineach 

age group, the average length of stay wasgreater 

for persons discharged by death than for those 

discharged alive. In both discharge status groups, 

the average length of stay was greatest for persons 

65 years of age and older. 

For both males and females, the average 

length of stay was longer forpersons discharged 

by death. Males discharged by death had anaverage length of stay of 13.0 days as compared with 

an average of 8.2 days for males discharged alive. 

Females discharged by death had an average length 

of stay of 16.7 days as compared with an a.verage of 

7.3 days for females discharged alive. 

The passage of Public Law 89-97, which, 

among other things, provides for a hospital 

insurance plan for persons 65 years and over to 

be covered by Social Security, has generated 

much interest in the hospital utilization of persons 

aged 65 years and over. Statistics collected by 

the Hospital Discharge Survey during 1965permit 

an examination of the hospital experience of the 

national population prior to the inauguration of 

j Medicare. 

Throughout. this report reference is made to 

persons aged 65-74 and 75 years andover with 

scant reference to a consolidation of these groups. 

Data for persons aged 65 years and over are., 

found among the detailed tables or may be ob2 
Table A. Comparison of selected measures on utilization of short-stay hospitals for 

f;;ients 65 years and over with those under 65 years of age, by sex: United States, 

I 65 years and overt I Under 65 years1 

Measures 

Both 

sexes2 Male Female 

Number of discharges in thousands-------------------- 4,601 2,114 2,474 24,377 9,188 15,152 

Percent discharged alive"-------- 89.5 88.3 90.5 98.5 97.9 98.9 

Discharge rate 

per 1,000 population------------ 263.9 276.3 252.9 141.4 108.9 172.2 

Days of care in thousands-------- 60,035 26,070 33,732 167,343 68,999 98,088 

Average length of stay in days--- 13.0 12.3 13.6 6.9 7.5 6.5 

Daily hospital bed usage rate 

sexes' Male Female Both 

per 100,000 populatio&--------- 943.4 933.4 945.2 266 .O 224.1 305.3 

'Includes only discharges and days of care for which age was stated. 

2Figures for sex not stated included in “totals,” but not distributed among sex 

groups . 

31ncludes only discharges for which discharge status was stated. 

'Aggregate days of care x 100,000 

Persons at risk x 365 

tained by a consolidation of the 65-74 and 75 

years and over groups. However, for the convenience of the reader and in view of the special 

interest in the 65 years and over group per se, 

selected measures for these persons as well as 

for persons under 65 years of age are summarized in table A. 

SOURCE AND LIMITATIONS 

OF DATA 

This report presents detailed findings on 

hospital utilization by characteristics of patients 

discharged from short-stay hospitals during calendar year 1965, exclusive of discharges from 

military and Veterans Administration hospitals, 

and hospital departments of long-term and custodial institutions. All discharges from theparticipating hospitals except well-newborn infants are 

within the scope of the survey. The mother’s 

discharge is within the scope of the survey but 

the infant’s discharge is counted only if it is 

not a well-newborn infant. 

The principal source of information in the 

survey is the existing patient medical records on 

file in the hospital. Within the hospitals participating in the survey, statistical information pertaining to the characteristics of a sample of discharged patients and their hospitalization is recorded on abstract forms which are shipped to the 

National Center for Health Statistics for processing. A copy of the front side of this abstract 

form covering the nonmedical data presented in 

this report is shown in figure 1. The reverse 

side of the form is used to record discharge diagnoses and surgical operations and procedures. 

Appendix I of this report describes in greater 

detail the data collection and data processingprocedures used in this survey. 

In general, the data recorded on the abstract 

form and presented in this report are limited to 

key items of information about the discharged 

3 
- CONFIDENTIAL~ This information is collected under authority of Public Law 652 of the 84th Congress (70 Stat. 489; 42 USC. 242.c.). All inform- ­

ation which would permit identification of an individual or an establishment Gill be held strictly confidential, will be used only by Fersons en- q 

gaged in and for the purposes of the survey and will not be disclosed or released to other persons or used for any other purpose (22 FR 1687). -

-

DEPARTMENT OF For&mApP,oYDd -

HEALTH, EDUCATION. AND WELFARE Bvdgcl Burca” NO. 68.R620.RZ -

PUS.47342 - PUBLIC HEALTH SERYICE - 844 

NATIONAL CENTER FOR HEALTH STATISTICS Il. HOSPITAL NUMBER -

ABSTRACT OF PATIENT RECORD- Hospital Discharge Survey 

2. PATIENT NUMBER 

3. MEDICAL RECORD NUMBER 

42. DATE OF BIRTH 

Complete 4b and 4c if 

date of birth is not given. 

4.b. AGE 

4.~. AGE IS STATED IN 

5. SEX 

6. COLOR 

7. MARITAL STATUS 

a. DATE OF ADMISSION 

9. DATE OF DISCHARGE 

10. JJlSCHARGE STATUS 

Figure I. Nonmedical section of optical mark page reader form. 
patient and his hospitalization that are generally 

available from the “face sheet” of the patient’s 

medical record. Information on the characteristics of the hospital is available from the Master 

Facility Inventory of Hospitals and Institutions.3 

The survey utilizes a two-stage sample design. In the first stage, a stratified sampleof 315 

hospitals was selected from the approximately 

7,000 short-stay hospitals ‘in the United States, 

exclusive of military and Veterans Administration 

hospitals, contained in the Master Facility Inventory of Hospitals and Institutional Establishments. 

In the second stage of the sample design a systematic sample of discharges is selected within the 

sample hospitals. The sample is selected from the 

patients listed on the daily discharge listing 

sheet-a current record of discharges which is 

maintained by nearly all hospitals. A more detailed description of the sample design is contained in Appendix I. 

Since the estimates presented in this report 

are based on a subsample of about 100,000 discharges from about 300 hospitals participating in 

the survey, rather than on all discharges (about 

29 million) from all in-scope hospitals (about 

6,900), they are subject to sampling error. Estimates of the sampling error of several types of 

hospital utilization statistics presented in this 

report are discussed in the section “Reliability 

of Estimates” in Appendix I. 

In addition to sampling errors, the Statistics 

are subject to measurement errors. These include 

errors due to hospital nonresponse, missing abstracts,.information incompletely or inaccurately 

reported on abstract forms, and processing errors. The extent of missing data and an explanation of the adjustments and imputations that were 

used to compensate for them are also discussed in 

Appendix I. 

Appendix III contains definitions of terms relating to hospitalization, such as “hospital” and 

“discharge” as weli as definitions.of demographic 

terms used in this report. Since many of these 

terms have specialized meanings in the Hospital 

Discharge Survey, familiarity with these definitions will aid the reader in interpreting the data, 

3Nati~nal Center for Health Statistics: Development and 

maintenanceof a national inventory of hospitals and in&i& 

tions. Vital and Health Statistics. PHS Pub. No. 1000, Series 

l-No. 3. Public Health Service. Washington. U.S. Government 

PrintingOffice, Feb. 1965. 

DISCHARGES AND DISCHARGE 

RATES 

An estimated 29.1 million patients were discharged from short-stay hospitals in the United 

States in the period January through December 

1965. The discharge rate was 153.4 per 1,000 persons in the civilian, noninstitutional population 

(table 1). -

Age, Color, and Sex 

Figure 2 depicts the relationship between age 

and sex, and discharge rates per 1,000 persons. As 

shown in figure 2, with increasing age the discharge rates followed an irregular upward trend. 

The discharge rate was highest among adults 75 

years of age and over and lowest among children 

5-14 years of age. The rate was also high for infants under 1 year of age. Since well-newborn 

infants (see Appendix III) are, by definition, -I 

not included in this rate, the high rate re­

= 50 I I I I I I I i 

0 IO 20 30 40 50 60 70 8( 

AGE IN YEARS 

Figure 2. Number of patients discharged per 1,000 

persons per year, by sex and age. 

5 
fleeted a high level of morbidity among newborn 

infants. However, it is also quite possible that a 

few well-newborn infants were included in the 

rates since editing of the medical coding was not 

performed until after the nonmedical data were 

read into the computer and tabulated. 

The rate per 1,000 females of all ages in the 

population was about one and a half times the comparable rate for males (table 1). However, as 

shown in figure 2, the rates for females in the 15-

24 and 25-34 age groups were about three times 

the comparable rates for males. The differences 

in the rates in these age groups, in large measure, 

reflected the hospitalizations of women 15-34 

for deliveries and conditions of pregnancy. In con260 

Married 

240 Unmarried 

1467 

119.6 

Both sexes Mole Female 

Figure 3. Number of patients discharged per 1,000 

persons per year, by marital status and sex for 

patients 15 years of age and over. 

trast to the regular upward trend shown by the 

rates for males in ages above the 5- 14age group, 

the rates for females showed a secondary peakin 

the primary childbearing years of 15-34, followed 

by a decline, and then another peak at the oldest 

ages. 

The distribution of discharges by color, sex, 

and age is given in table 2. Seventy-nine percent 

of the patients were reported as white and 9 percent as nonwhite. Inasmuch as color was not reported for nearly 12 percent of the cases, rates 

were not computed by color. 

Marital Status 

For persons aged 15 years and over, thedischarge rate for married persons was 36percent 

greater than that for unmarried persons. This was 

due in part to the number of pregnancies that 

occurred among married women aged 15-44. The 

discharge rate for married females aged 15-44 

(299) was significantly higher than the rate (128) 

for unmarried females in the same age group. 

The conditions of pregnancy among married 

women aged 15-44 also explains, in part, why 

married females had the highest discharge rate 

of any sex-marital status group. For persons 

aged 45 years and over, there was no significant 

difference in the rates for married and unmarried 

females. The discharge rate for married males 

was slightly higher than the rate for unmarried 

males (fig. 3). 

Discharge Status 

Approximately 97 percent of the 29.1 million 

patients were discharged alive. Patients discharged by death numbered approximately 818,000 

or about 3 percent of all discharges. 

The percent of patients discharged alive by 

age and sex is given in table 1. Starting with the 

group aged 35-44, the percent discharged alive 

decreased with advancing age. This of course was 

indicative of the increasing rate of mortality with 

advancing age. Virtually all persons aged 1 to 34 

years were discharged alive. The percent discharged alive was lowest in the group aged 75 

years and over (86 percent). The percent discharged alive was also low for infants under 1 

year of age (94 percent). 

6 
Ninety-eight percent of the females and 96 

percent of the males were dischargedalive. Starting with the group aged 35-44, the percent dis; 

charged alive for males and for females varied 

inversely with age. As expected, the percent discharged alive was lowest at the oldest ages. 

The percent discharged alive by age, color, 

and sex is shown in table 2. Based on discharges 

for which color was stated, the percent discharged 

alive was higher for white than for nonwhite persons. However, inasmuch as color was unknown 

for 12 percent of the discharged patients, caution 

should be observed in making more detailed comparisons. 

Over 97 percent of married persons and 95 

percent of unmarried persons were discharged 

alive (table 3). For both married and unmarried 

persons, the percent discharged alive was lowest 

in the oldest age groups. 

DAYS OF CARE 

AND LENGTH OF STAY 

Days of care and average length of stay by 

selected patient characteristics are shown in 

tables 4-7; the percent distribution of discharges 

by length of stay in days for selected patient characteristics can be found in tables 8-11. 

The estimated 29.1 million discharges during 

1965 utilized over 228 million days of care (table 

4). The average length of stay was 7.8 days (table 

4) with nearly one-half of the patients being discharged in 4 days or less (table 8). Only about 3 

percent of the patients stayed more than 30 days 

(table 8). 

Age, Sex, and Color 

Figure 4 shows that, beginning with persons 

aged 5-14 years, the average length of stay increased with advancing age. It was highest (14.0 

days) for persons 75 years and over and lowest 

(4.6 and4.5 days) for persons l-4 and 5-14 years 

of age respectively. Those under 1 year of age had 

an average length of stay of 8.5 days. This was the 

highest of any group under 45 years of age. 

Since the average length of stay is often influenced by relatively few l discharges having long 

lengths of stay, the distribution of discharges by 

length of stay and age is of interest. As shown in 

4 0-I SC AGE IN YEARS 

Figure 4. Average length of stay of patients discharged, by sex and age. 

figure 5, for younger ages (excluding infants under 

1 year of age) there was a preponderance of discharges with short lengths of stay (3 days or less); 

while in the older groups this was not the case. 

For example, 60 percent of the patientsin the 1-4 

age group were discharged in 3 days or less, 

whereas this occurred with only 19 percent of 

the patients 75 years of age and over. On the other 

hand, 17 percent of the patients 75 years and over 

had lengths of stay of 3 weeks or more as contrasted with 2 percent for persons aged l-4 years. 

The average length of stay for males was 8.4 

days as compared with 7.5 days for females 

(table 4). As shown in figure 4, theaverage length 

of stay for males and for females increased with 

advancing age. The secondary peak, so prominent 

in the graph of the discharge rates for females 

by age (fig. 2), is notably absent in figure 4. This 

was because females in the primary childbearing 

years (15-34) were discharged frequently but 

experienced relatively few days of care per hospitalization. Women aged 15-34 accounted for over 

40 percent of all females discharged (table l), 

7 
------ 

----- 

PERCENT DISTRIBUTION 

0 IO 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 

Age I I I I I I I I I I 1 -

A,, ages-.----- ---_ 

Under I year-------

25-34 years 

35-44 years------

45-54 years------

55-64 years 

65-74 years------

75 years and over-­

LENGTH-OF-STAY INTERVAL 

I dcy 2-3 9-20 21 days 

or less days days •miuo and over 

Figure 5. Percent distribution of patients discharged, by length-of-stay intervals according to age. 

but less than 27 percent of the total days of caxe 

for females (table 4). 

As shown in figure 6, a large amount of the 

difference in the overall average length of stay 

between ma les and females was accounted for in 

the age group spanning the primary childbearing 

years for women, ages 15-34. Although proportionately more ma les than females aged 15-34 

were discharged in 2 days or less, proportionately 

move females than ma les were discharged in 4 

days or less, and for succeeding groups. In other 

words, for the length of stay group in figure 6 of 

4 days or less and for the subsequent groups, proportionately move females than ma les were discharged and proportionately few@’ females than 

8 

ma les were still hospitalized (100 percent minus 

the cumulative percent discharged) after specified 

lengths of stay. This contributed to the substantially longer average length of stay for ma les 

(6.5 days) aged 15-34 years in comparison with 

females (4.9 days). 

On the other hand, for all ages excluding 15-34 

years, the proportion of ma les and females with 

short and long lengths of stay was essentially the 

same. The average length of stay for ma les (8.9 

days) and for females (9.2 days) for all ages excluding 15-34 differed only slightly. 

The average length of stay by age, sex, and 

color is shown in table 5. The average length of 
15-34 YEARS OF AGE ALL OTHER AGES 

80 80 

60 60 

I or 2 or 40r 6 or I or 2 or less lets less less less less less 

LENGTH OF STAY IN DAYS LENGTH OF STAY IN DAYS 

Figure 6. Cumulative percent distribution of patients discharged, by sex and length of stay for patients 

15-34 years of age and for all other ages. 

stay for white persons was 7.8 days as compared Table B. Number of discharges, days or 

with 3.9 days for. nonwhite. For each age group, care, and average length of stay, by 

the average length of stay for white was less than marital status: United States, -

1965 

for nonwhite persons. However, for 12 percent of 

Number of Days of /Average all discharges and 11.5 percent of all days of care, Marital discharges care in length color was not stated. For this reason, caution status1 in thou- ,

of stay should be observed in making more detailed com- thousands sands in days 

parisons. 

Married- - 17,712 134,876 7.6 

Marita.1 Status 

Married---- 17,;;; 130,979 

As shown in table B, the average lengtn of Separated-- 3,897 ;:“5 

stay for unmarried persons was 10.4 days as com- Unmarried- 6,066 62,872 10.4 

pared with 7.6 days for married persons. A breakdown of the married and unmarried groups into Single----- 3,038 24,777 8.2 

Widowed---- 2,437 32,516 13.3 their component parts shows that the average Divorced--- 590 5,579 9.4 

length of stay was longest for widowed persons 

(13.3 days) and shortest for persons married and Not 

living together (7.6 days). stated---- 600 1I 5,220 8.7 

The longer average lengths of stay experi­ ‘Includes only patients known to be 15 enced by the unmarried group and its components years of age and over. For 0.5 percent of 

as compared with the married group were due in all patients discharged, age was “not 

part to the older age composition of persons dis- stated.” 

9 
charged in this group. Over 35 percent of the unmarried patients were 65 years of age and over as 

compared with about 13 percent of those married 

(table 3); whereas, only about 45 percent of the 

unmarried persons were under 44 years contrasted..with over 57 percent of the married persons. 

The longer average length of stay for unmarried in comparison with married persons was 

evident in all age groups (table 6). For both males 

and females in most age groups, the average length 

of stay for unmarried persons was greater than 

for married persons. The longer average length 

of stay for unmarried persons occurred even 

though the discharge rate for unmarried persons 

was less than for married persons (table 3). In 

summary, proportionately fewer unmarried persons were discharged from short-stay hospitals, 

but proportionately more unmarried persons once 

they were hospitalized experienced longer lengths 

of stay. 

Discharge Status 

Persons discharged alive received over 216 

million days of care or almost 95 percent of ,the 

more than 228 million days of care given by sh/ortm Discharged oliv’e 

Discharged dead 

4 or less 

stay hospitals in 1965 (table 7). However, proportionately more days of care were experienced by 

patients discharged by death. These patients, about 

3 percent of the total number discharged (table l), 

accounted for about 5 percent of the total days of 

care (table 7). This fact is also reflected in the 

average length of stay for persons discharged by 

death (14.7 days) which was nearly double that for 

those discharged alive (7.6 days). 

Persons discharged by death tended to have 

either relatively short or relatively long lengths 

of stay, As shown in figure 7, over one-fourth of 

the patients discharged by death had lengths of 

stay of 1 day or less, as compared with only 10 

percent of those discharged alive. This was probably a reflection of the large number of emergency 

patients who died soon after admission. 

At the other extreme, 37 percent of the patients discharged by death had lengths of stayexceeding 10 days, as compared with only 19 percent 

of those discharged alive. Over 10 percent of the 

patients discharged by death had lengths of stay 

exceeding 1 month as compared with less than 3 

percent of those discharged alive. The fact that 

proportionately more patients discharged by death 

had longer hospital stays contributed to the longer 

average length of stay for this group. 

64.5 

6 or less 

LENGTH OF STAY IN DAYS 

Figure 7. Cumulat'ive percent distribution of patients discharged,by discharge status and length of stay. 

10 
. 

In each age group: the average length of stay 

was greater for persdhs discharged by death than 

for those discharged alive. In both discharge status 

groups, the average length of stay was greatest 

for persons 65 years of age and older (table 7). 

For both males and females, the average 

length of stay for most age groups was shorter 

for persons discharged alive (table 7). Males discharged alive had an average length of stay of 

8.2 days as compared with an average of 13.0 days 

for males discharged by death. Females discharged alive had an average length- of stay of 

7.3 days as compared with anaverage of 16.7 days 

for females discharged by death. 

DAYS OF CARE RATES 

Two useful rates of hospital utilization are 

given in this section. These rates are shown by 

various patient characteristics in tables 4 and 6. 

Unlike other rates and averages shown in this report, numbers of discharges do not enter into the 

computations. The first rate, an annualone, gives 

the aggregate days of care per 1,000 persons in the 

civilian, noninstitutional population. In 1965,1,203 

days of care were experienced per 1,000 persons 

(table 4). 

The second rate, a daily one, gives the average 

number of beds occupiedlfier day per 100,000persons. The aggregate days of care divided by the 

number of days in the year gives the average number of persons in hospitals during a given day 

(average daily census). If a person spends a day 

as an inpatient in the hospital, he is assumed to 

have occupied a bed for 1 day. If the average number of beds occupied onagiven day is then related 

to the number of persons at risk, this second rate, 

which is called the “daily rate of hospital bed 

usage,” is obtained. (This rate islnot to be confused with the percentage of occupancy, which is 

the ratio of the aggregate days of care to the number of bed days available. Population data arenot 

inyrolved in the computation of the percentage of 

occupancy.) 

During 1965 an average of about 330 beds were 

occupied daily per 100,000 persons in the civilian, 

noninstitutional population (table 4). . 

The two rates of hospital utilization will show 

the same trends because they measure the same 

I I I I I I I I 20 40 60 80 

AGE IN YEARS 

Figure 8. Average numberofhospital beds occupied 

daily per 100,000 persons, by sex and age. 

thing. The annual days of care rates are equal to 

the daily usage rates multiplied by a constant, 

which is 365/100. For this reason, it would be 

repetitious to utilize both of these rates in the 

analysis. The daily hospital bed usage rate is 

chosen for analysis because it develops the useful concept of the average number of beds occupied 

each day of the year per given population. However, 

if it is desirable to compare days of care rates 

with annual discharge rates, the annual days of 

care rates per 1,000 persons should be used. 

Age and Sex 

In figure 8, the daily usage rates “:-Je been 

plotted at the midpomts of the age classes. Following the 5- 14 age group, the daily usage rate by 

group increased directly with age. The rate was 

highest for the 75-year-and-over group in which -. . 

11 
II Married 

Unmarried 

325.2 

0 

Both sexes Male Female 

Figure 9. Average number of hospital beds occupied daily per 100,000 persons, by marital 

status and sex for patients 15 years of age and 

over. 

an average of approximately 1,300 persons per 

100,000 persons in the population occupied hospital beds daily (table 4). It was lowest for the 

5-14 age group in which an average of only 76 out 

000 

of every 100,000 persons in the population occupied hospital beds daily. 

The daily hospital bed usage rate for females 

of all ages (371) was about 30 percent greater than 

that for males (table 4). This was due in part to 

the proportionately large number of days of care 

contributed by women in the primary childbearing 

ages of 15-34 years. This same factor also helps 

to explain the secondary peak shown in the graph 

for females in the 15-34 age group (fig. 8). 

This secondary peak is absent in the graph for 

males. 

Marital Status 

Table 6 gives the daily usage rates per 100,000 

persons by age, sex, and marital status. For all 

age- sex-marital status groups, except all married 

persons and married females, the daily usage 

rates varied directly with age. In each of these two 

groups, the daily usage rates for persons aged 

15-24 were significantly higher than the rates for 

persons aged 25-44. For all age-sex-marital 

status groups, the daily usage rates were highest 

at the oldest ages. 

Figure 9 shows the daily hospital bed usage 

rates per 100,000 persons by sexand marital status. The rate for married females (469) was 

greater than for married males (361) with the 

differences being most pronounced in the 15-24 

and 25-44 age groups (table 6). In each of these 

age groups the rates for females were more than 

double the rates for males. 

The rate for unmarried females (486) was 

greater than for unmarried males (325). However, in the oldest age groups, the rates for unmarried males exceeded those for unmarried 

females. 

12 
DETAILED TABLES 

Page 

Table 1. Number, percent distribu&ion, and rate of discharges, and percent discharged alive, by sex and age; United S$ates, 1965--r-c,c,---rr----~--~--rl-cr,,,sh"* 14 

2, Number and percent distribution 

States, 

of d$scharges, md percent discharged alive, by 

age, sex, and color: United ~965--Crr--n-r-orr~r ---~"=r-eC--~-~Cccc-ef"r 15 

3. Number, percent distribution, and rate of discharges, and percent discharged alive, by sex, age, and marital status ior patients 15 years of age and over; United States, 1965-r-R-C%--.C-r~-r-r-----~~-~--~-~~~~~~~----------~-~--~~-~~---~ 16 

4. Number, percent distribution, and rate of days of care?, average number of hospital beds occupied daily, and average length of stay, Sfates, 1Q65---------rr-rsrr~--l-rr---~---~-~~--~--~-~-----~---------~-""----------by sex and age; United 

18 

5. Number and percent distribution of days of care, and average length of stay, by 

age, sex, and color: United States, 1965--r- --rl-C--'"--r--nC-IC"-~--I-C 19 

6. Number, percent distribution, and rate of days of care, average number of hosstatus; United States, pital beds occupied daily, and average length of stay, by sex, L965----r--r-~---b-T-~--~--~~~--~~~---~--~---------------age, and marital 

2Q 

7. Number and percent distribution of days of care, and average length 

sex, age, and discharge status: United States, 1965--------~--------~~----------

of stay, by 22 

8. %;;;ent distribution of discharges,by length of atay,sex,and age: Un$ted States, -----~--""------~-..----"----------~---~---"-------~----------------""."---~ 23 

9. Percent distribution af discharges,by Sength of stay, sex, age, and color: United States; 1965-.---C-~-C1-I------C---C-------~~~-~-~~ c-----c-r---"-r-----CC-r---"----"-~ 24 

10. Percent distribution of discharges, by length of stay, status for patients 15 yeara of age and over: United States, sex, age, and marital ~965---~-F---ccc~~­ 26

11" Percent distribution of discharges, by length of stay, sex, age, status; United States, 19659-------*-,--- -r~-l~c~-----ccn-----------~--"----"---and dgscharge 

28 

12, Civilian, noninstitutional population used in obtainning rates shown in this publication, by sex and age; United States, July 1, 1965-c-r-r-nn----r--r,-,------- 30 

13. Civilian, noninstitutional population aged 15 years and over used in obtaining rates shown in th#,s publication, by age, sex, and marttal status: United States,

July 1, 1965 ---C--~------'-'--C---"---~------""- -----a"-"~~--------"------------ 30 

i 
Table 1. Number, percent distribution, and rate of discharges, and percent discharged alive, by 

sex and age: United States, 1965 

[Discharges from noninstitutional, short-stay hospitals exclusive of

-

VeteransAdministration and military hospitals) 

-

r Discharges TPercent 

Sex and age Number Percent Rate discharged 

in distri- per 1,000 alive1 

thousands bution persons 

per year 

Both sexes 

Under 1 year------------------------------------------

1-4 ye~s---------------------------------------------

5-14 years--------------------------------------------

15-24 years-------------------------------------------

25-34 years-------------------------------------------

35-44 years-------------------------------------------

45-54 years-------------------------------------------

55-64 years-------------------------------------------

65-74 years-------------------------------------------

7% years---------------------------------------------

Not stated--------------------------------------------

29.120 100.0 153.4 97.1 

877 

1,309

2,415

4,948 

2:: 

$1 

272i*i 

61:4 

171.1 

93i5 

99.5 

99.5 

99.7 

~G6" 13:1 %*i 

99.7 

99.1 

$:g; 12.2 

10.8 

163:2 

188.0 

97.7 

2:537 

2,;~; 

8.7 

i:t 

225.8 

332.9 . . . 

E 

86:l 

95.1 

Male3 

All ages2---------------------------------------

Under 1 year------------------------------------------

1-4 years---------------------------------------------

5-14 years--------------------------------------------

15-24 years-------------------------------------------

25-34 years-------------------------------------------

35-44 years-------------------------------------------

45-54 years-------------------------------------------

55-64 years-------------------------------------------

65-,74 years---------------------------------------------

75+ years---------------------------------------------

Not stated-------------------------------------------­

11,361 100.0 123.5 96.1 

508 

752 22 258.1 88.9 

93.7 

99.5 

1,331

1,148

1,000

1,325 

11:7

‘i-s’ 

1117 

13.5 

66.7 

83.1 

98.2 

115.8 

145.4 

99.5 

: 99.3 

99.4 

98.9 

E2 14.0 199.8 E 

1:198 

g15; 

10.5

251 

238.0 

350.3 . . . 

91:2 

g;*;. 

Females 

All ages2 ---------- ---------- ---- --------------- 17,709 100.0 181.1 97.7 

Under 1 year------------------------------------------

1-4 years---------------------------------------------

5-14 years -------------------______________r______----

15-24 

368 

555 

1,079

3,797 

32:: 

2s 

195.0 

68.4 

55.8 

251.5 

93.3 

99.5 

99.5 

99.8 years-------------------------------------------

25-34 years-------------------------------------------

35-44 years-------------------------------------------

45-54 years-------------------------------------------

55-64 years-------------------------------------------

65-74 years-------------------------------------------

75+ years---------------------------------------------

Not stated-------------------------------------------­

iIncludes only episodes for 

%igures for age not stated 

3,1ncludes only episodes for 

3,326 18:8 296.6 99.8 

14.0 199.5 99.3 

11.4 179.2 97.8

176.7 96.2 9: 214.8 93.2 

318.7 87.4 

82 2 . . . 95.9 

which discharge status was stated. 

included for"al1 ages," but not distributed among age groups. 

which sex was stated. 

14 
Table 2. Number and percent distribution of discharges, and percent discharged alive,by age, sex,

and color: United States, 1965 

[Dischnrges from noninstitutional, short-stay hospit& exclusive of Veterans Administration nnd military hospit&] - -

d Percent Discharges

I Percent 

dis- disAge I!7umber Percent charged Number Percent charged in 

1thou- distri- alive1 th::- distri- alive1 

sands bution sands bution 

, I i 

Both sexes Male2 Female2 

All ages3--

Under 15 years--- 4,601 

15-24 years------ 4,948 

25-44 years------ 8,138 

45-64 years------ 6,690 

65+ years-------- 4,601 

Not stated------- 142 

All ages3-- 23,016 

Under 15 years--- 3,608 

15-24 years------ 3,756 

25-44 years------ 6,306 

45-64 years------ 5,453 

65+ years-------- 3,778 

Not stated------- 116 

All ages3-- 2,5o8 

Under 15 years--- 458 

15-24 years------ 613 

25-44 years------ 850 

45-64 years------ 430 

65+ years-------- 234 

Not stated------- 14 

'Includes only episodes 

21ncludes only episodes 

==w= I I 

15.8 98.4 2,591 22.8 98.4 2,002 11.3 98.4 

17.0 99.7 1,148 10.1 99.3 3,797 21.4 99.8 

27.9 99.4 2,325 20.5 99.1 5,799 32.7 99.6 

23.0 96.6 3,124 27.5 96.1 3,554 20.1 97.1 

15.8 89.5 2,114 18.6 88.3 2,474 14.0 90.5 

0.51 95.1 59 0.5 t 93.9 82 0.5 95.9 

97.1 96.1 17,709 1 lOO.Ol 97.7 

White4 White K4 

100.0 97.1 9,094 100.0 96.2 13,888 -r15.7 98.5 2,021 22.2 98.6 1,583 

16.3 99.7 916 10.1 99.3 2,838 

27.4 99.5 1,845 20.3 99.1 4,451 

23.7 96.8 2,545 28.0 96.3 2,900 

16.4 89.7 1,720 18.9 88.3 2,049 

White%4 

20.9 97.3 

14.8 90.8 

0.5 96.0 48 0.5 93.1 68 0.5 98.0 

Nonwhite4 

100.0 96.6 897 100.0 95.2 t 1,697 100.0 97.4 

17.6 96.6 261 29.2 96.7 196 11.6 96.4 

23.6 99.8 88 9.8 99;l 524 30.9 99.9 

32.7 98.9 211 23.6 98.5 637 37.5 99.0 

16.5 94.2 212 23.7 93.9 217 12.8 94.4 

9.0 85.6 118 13.2 85.0 115 6.8 86.0 

0.6 84.0 5 0.6 94.7 8 0.5 75.7 

for which discharge status was stated. 

for which sex was stated. 

$Figures for age not stated included for "all ages" but not distributed among age groups. 

41ncludes only episodes for which color tias stated. 

'15 
Table 3. Rmiber, percent distrlbtitiotij and ~8te of dis~hsrges , and peewnt: discharged dlivej by sex, sge, And marlcal. status forQatients 15 years 6f aige and cm%?: United States, 1965 

[Discharges from noninstitutional, short-&,&8 hospitals exclusive of Veterans Adhinistration and military lpspitals~ 

T Discbarges 

. . Percent

Sex, age, and marBzi1 stat& Number Rate discharged 

in per 1,000 alivei 

peESOnS tl-ioclsarids Bei: year -I ,. 

ljqtb sexes 

A11 ages, 1% years4-l------------------------- 24,377 187.5 gtj,g 

15-24 yea~si-----------*----il-----i---*-**~--------~~-*- 4,948 171.1 99.7 

25-44 years Y*i-~-*------r------***-*-"- --i---dz*-*a,_. 8,138 179.9 99.4

45-64 y~rs------*--------***-----***----~---------*- 6,690 174.0 96.6 6% y~a~s,--._‘-~‘--------ii-‘r~~-.-----*~--13r 4,6OL 263,9 89.5 

17,m 9715 

2,975 

7,134 

5,368 

2,234 

6,066 146‘7 . I. ,. 

1,865 91.2 

878 154,o 

1,168 16314 

2,154 267‘2 

_, !,$44 

267

l,FiL8

2,662

I+,396 

16 
Table 3, Number, percent distribution, and rate of discharges, and percent discharged alive, by 

sex, age, and marital status for patients 15 years of age and over: United States, 1965-Con. 

[Discharges from noninstitutional, short-stay hospitals exclusive of Veterans Administration and military hospitals) - - T Discharges TPercent 

Sex, age, and marital status' Number Percent Rate discharged 

in distri- per 1,000 alive2 

thousands bution persons 

per year 

Male, unmarried4'5 

All ages, 1% years"--------------------------- 2,169 100.0 119.6 94.9 

15-24 years------------------------------------------ 831 38.3 76.1 99.3 25-44 years------------------------------------------ 341 15.7 98.6 45-64 years------------------------------------------ 17.5 %32 95.2 65+ years-------------------------------------------- E 28.5 309:o 86.7 

Female5 

All ages, 1% years3--- --_-__ -__---_- -------_- - 100.0 228.3 97.6 

15-24 year~--------------------------------------------

25-44 years --_-_--i--_---------_____________i______--

45-64 years -_i---_----_------------------------------ 6% years--------------------------------------------

24.3 

2: 

15:s 

251.5 

245.6 

Ek; . 

99.8 

99.6 

97.1 

90.5 

Female. marriedJV5 

All ages, 15-f. yea&---- -__----_--_- ----_----_- 11,445 100.0 253.0 98.5 

15-24 years------------------------------------------ 23.7 486.0 99.8 

25-44 years _-_-_-_----_------------------------------ ~~6,“e~~“,‘s------------------------------------------45.5 

23.6 

249.2 

179.4 

99.6 

97.3 ----_---_--____----------------------------- 7.3 223.8 91.7 

Female, unmarried4'5 

All ages,19 years3---------------------------- 3,883 100.0 167.3 95.1 

15-24 years------------------------------------------ 25-44 years-------i----------------------------------

45-64 years------------------------------------------

6% yeara----i---------------------------------------

1,032

535 

784 

1,532 

26.6 

13.8 

20.2 

39.5 

108.3 

197.1 

$g*.E7 

99.6 

99.3 

96.7 . 89.9

'The married group includes legally separatea persuhs. Widowed, divorced, and never married 

persons constitute the unmarried group. 

SIncludes only episodes for which discharge status was stated. 

31ncludes only discharged patients known to be 15 years of age or over. 

'Includes only episodes for which marital status was stated. 

51ncludes only episodes for which sex was stated. 

17 
?li 

Table 4. Number, percent distribution, and rate of days of care, average number of hospital beds 

occupied daily, and average length of stav, by sex and age: United States, 1965 

[Discharges from noninstitutional, short-stay hospitals exclusive of Veterans Administration and military hospitalsJ 

-

Sex and age 

Both sexes 

Under 1 year----------------------------------

1-4 years------------------------------------- 5-14 years------------------------------------

15-24 years --_---__"-_--_-_-------------------

25-34 years-----------------------------------

35-44 years-----------------------------------

45-54 years-----------------------------------

55-64 years --_-_--_--_----c_--_---------------

65-74 years-----------------------------------

75+ years _----_----_-_-_--c-------------------

Not stated------------------------------------

Under 1 year -----_--------------_________c___I 

l-4 years------------------------------------.

5-14 years-----------------------------------,

15-24 years----------------------------------.

25-34 years----------------------------------,

35-44 years---------------------------.-------. 

45-54 years _---------------------------------. 55-64 years-------------------------------~----.

65-74 years----------------------------------.

75+ years------------------------------------.

Not'stated-----------------------------------. 

Female3 

Under 1 year---------------------------------.

l-4 years------------------------------------.

5-14 years-----------------------------------.

15-24 years----------------------------------.

25-34 years----------------------------------.

35-44 years------------------------------------. 

45-54 years -----_----_---_--__---------------. 

55-64 years ---___-_--_____---_---------------. 65-74 years----------------------------------, 

75+ years ---_-________--_-___________________I 

Not stated -----___-----_--___________________ 

Days of care 

Rate Number Percent ?er 1,000 zlistri­ persons thoiiands bution ?er year 

228,398 100.0 1,203.4 

7,445 2’2 Lg.; 

10,915

24,294 

418 

10.6 

27716 

840.2 

10.8 

xi26 12.3 

32;662 14.3 

xi2; 

2$;L”g” , 

:";2

1217 

0.4 

4,674.4 . . . 

6,050 

95,514 100.0 1.038.3 

4,221 4.4 

3,472

5,95: 63:; 

7,031

6,861 ::4 

10,291

13,88: 2; 

17,27: 18:l ;,;g*; 

;'i.,;;; 15.4 2;916:C 

11.9 4,351.c

'44l 0.5 . . . 

Number 

of Average lospital length beds of 

ccupied stay

daily1 

329.7 7.8 

E*l 23:: 

76:l 

230.2 44:; 316.6 

323.1 D 

411.9 13 

:x 1212 

1,280:7 14.0 . . . 7.2 

284.5 a.4 

587.9 

362.0 

10.8 

:E3 12.3 

1,192:1 12.4 . . . 7.6

132,40: 1oo.c 1,353.g 

3,212 2.4 

'2,571

4,93( i-s 

1310 ;;a;";! 13.5 

;;: ;;{ 13.4 

14.1 

15:79: 

16,29! i:*; 

17,;;; 13:2 

0.4 

IExpressed as average daily number of beds occupied per 100,000 civilian,

population. 

2Figures for age not stated included for "all ages, I' but not distributed 

31ncludes only iepisodes for which sex was stated. 

466.8 

:9'*: 

313:o 

435.7 

392.7 

457.4 

495.1 

720.2 

1,334.6 . . . 

noninstitutional' 

among age groups. 

18 
Table 5. Number and percent distribution of days of care, and average length of stay, by age, sex, and color: United States 1965 

[Discharges from noninstitutional, short-stay hospitals exclusive of Veterans Administration and military hospitals] 

Days of care Days of care Days of care 

Average Average Average 

of Age Number Percent length Number Percent length Number Percent 

length 

th::- distri- stay 7-l I 

stay thou- distri­ th::- distriof in of 

sands bution sands I 

bution l-lI 

bution 

I 

stay 

sands 

Both sexes Male1 Female' 

100.0 7.8 100.0 8.L 7.5 

10.7 5.3 13,648 14.3 5.: 5.4 

10.6 4.9 7,037 7.4 6.1 4.5 

23.1 6.5 17,159 18.0 7.4 6.1 

28.8 9.8 31,155 32.6 1o.c 9.7 

65-k years--------- ' 60,035 26.3 13.0 26,070 27.3 12.4 13.6 

Not stated-------- 1,019 t 0.4 7.2 444 T 0.5 7-t 6.9 

White3 White1*3 White1*3 

All ages---- 7.8 75,339 100.0 8.3 .03,110 100.0 7.4 

Under 15 years---- 5.0 10,027 13.3 5.c 7,880 7.6 5.0 

15-24 years------- 4.9 5,470 7.3 6.C 12,874 12.5 4.5 

.25-44 years------- 6.4 13,311 lZv7 7.2 26,766 26.0 6.0 

45-64 years------- 9.7 25,002 33.2 9.8 27,927 27.1 9.6 

6% years--------- 2.9 21,165 28.1 12.3 27,246 26.4 13.3 

Not stated-------- 6.8 364 t 0.5 7.7 t 416 0.4 6.1 

Nonwhite3 Nonwhitely Nonwhite"" 

All ages---- 23,130 8.9 9,5651 100.0 1 10.7 8.0 

Under 15 years---- 4,046 8.8 2,236 23.4 8.5 9.2 

15-24 years------- 3,378 5.5 793 8.3 9.a 4.9 

25-44 years------- 6,699 7.9 2,008 21.0 9.5 7.4 

45-64 years------- 5,482 12.8 2,732 28.6 12.9 12.6 

65+ years--------- 3,416 14.6 1,755 18.3 14.8 14.5 

Not stated-------- 109 7.6 41 0.4 7.6 7.4 

lkcludes only episodes for which sex was stated. 

'Figures for age not stated ,included for "all ages," but not distributed among age groups. 

'Includes only episodes for which color was stated. 

19 
3 

-- 

Table 6. Number, percent distribution, and rate of days of care, occupied daily,aad average length of stay, by sex, age,and maritalaverage number of hospital beds 

status: United States,1965 

[Discharges from noninstitutional, shcr~stay hospitals exclusive of Veterans Administration and miIitary hospitai 

- -

T Days of care TNumber

af Average 

Sex, age, and marital status1 Number Percenl Rate iospita beds 

1

leFh 

in distri- per 1,OOC JccUpie d,stay persons thousands bution per year daily2 

Both sexes 

All ages, 15+ years3-------------------- 202,969 1oo.c 1,560.E 427.f 5 8.3 

15-24 years --------------------------------i-- 24,294 12.C 840.2 230.; 25-44 years----i*---.------*-----l-c-------- 52,848 26.C 1,168.l 32O.t 2; 45-64 years---l---'---------~------------l-. 65,791 32.r ;a;;;.; 468.t 9:8 65+ years----------.-------------------------- 60,035 29.t , l 943.L 

I

b 13.0 

Married4 I 

All ages, 15+ year$3-------------------- 134,876 100,a 1,520.7 416.6 7.6 

15-24 years--------.--------------------i- 13,433 lo.a 434.3 4i5 25-44 years----u---------------,--,-,-,,, 44,507 33.0 306,4 45-64 yearsi-.--,--,------,--------------------- 50,673 37.6 443.5 ti*z 659 years-~-----------------------------------~- 26,263 19.5 767.5 11:8 

Unmarried' 

All age's, 15+ years3---------i---------- 62,872 100.0 1,520.5 416.6 

15~24 yoars------------------------.-~-------- 10,430 510.3 ;g*; 2Sad+&gearsi---,---,--------------i--------------- 7,530 x 1,321.l 49164 years----------ll----s-------------------- 13,778 21:9 ;,;g;*; 528:2 65$ years----------------~-------------*------ 31,134 49.5 , l 1,058:,0 

Male8 

Ali ages, ~5+ years3--~-i--------------- 81,422 100.0 1,321.g 362.2 9,3 

i,5-24 years----i--i-----u-*--i,,-,;,,,,,,-,,,,

25-44 years -----------------i*---i-iL----------- 7,037 8.6 509.4

793.1 67’2: 45-64 years---o-u---------r--i---*--*-~--~---~---- :xz x 1,684.4 65-k years -----------1--I-~---"-----i--i 26:070 322 3,407.o :p:; . 

Male, inarriet14i6 

ALl. ages, j;5+ years3----,--,------,------ 57,258 100.0 1,317,4 360.9 -

15-24 years --I-**-.L-I------II-L-------ii--~*----- 3.2 632.0 23-44 ye~r$---*--ii*----r*-~-*--,,,,,,,i,,, 23.5 722.3 E 45-64 pears--ir--i-3--r-i---~---------.~------ 45.0 1,585.6 434:4 65+ 3ears-i------~---I------iil-~---l---i-i--- 28.2 2,860,1 783.6 
lable 6, Number, percent distribution, and rate of days of care, average numbej: of hospital beds

mπtndaily, and average length of stay, by sex, age, and marital status: United States, - . 

[Discherges from noninstitutiorial, short-stay hospitals exclusive of Veterans Administration and military hospitals] 

- - -

T Days of kare r'NtllIlbi3f 

of Average

beds : 

length sex, age, and marital status1 Number Percent Rate lospital Of 

in distri- per 1,000 xcupiet stay persons thousands bution per year daily2 

Male, untmrried"~5 

All ages, If+ years3------------------~. 21,525 100.0 ~1,187.l 325.2 9.9 

15-24 yeairs ---------~--------------------~---- 5,002 458.4 ;;;og 25-44 8-i years-------------------.--------------- 3,236 :E 1,084.l 45-64 years --~-L------------------~--i--------- 4,583 2113 2,047.g 56&I 12:1 65+ year:'s----------------~~--------------~---- 8,704 40.4 4,358.5 1,194.l 14.1 

Female" 

Ali agesj 15+ yearsa----Y-i---u.--,i,-i- 121,121 100.0 1,769.5 48468 7.8 

15-24 years -------------------c------l---

25-44 years-----------------------------------

45-64 years---------------------~------------~ 

65f years --_--_-_--_------.--_______________I_ 

4:521: 

34:521 

33,752 

313.0 

g+j 

945: 2 

Female, married435 

All ages, 1542 year$a-------~-i---------- 13,432 100.0 469.0 6.8 

15-24 years-------------------------------

25-44 peam -"i~-----Y-----------_--_--------~----- 45-64 yearg---li--------~-~-----,-,-,-l-,,,

65+ years -i-----------i----------------L 

15.0 

g-y

12:9 

2,081.S 

;,"e;g*; 

2:696:6 

570.3 

406.1

452.2 

738.8 

4.3 

5-z 

12:o 

Pemale, umnarried4rS 

All ageg, 15+ pears3------*,-,,-,,~-~--- 41,163 lOOi 1,773.0 485.8 10.6 - is-24 years*Y---,------,--------~-------~----- 5,421 1312 25-44 yearg--.--,.i--i----r,_,,,,,,,,,,,_,,,,,

45-64 years Y-r--i---*-rl--ii-----"--~~--~--~-- x0: g-4 

65-j. yegrs,,,i------------,,Y--~---,---- 22;309 54:2 

k%e married ~ITIU~ %ncludes legally separated persons. Widowed, divorced, and never rparried persofis constitute the unmarried group. 

%xpressed as daily mmber of beds occupied per 100,000 civilian,~noninstitutFanal population, 

3Figiixes for age not sauced included for "all. ages, 'I but not distributed among age groups, 

*Includes only episodes for which tirital status was stated. 

%cludes only episodes for which sex was stated. 

11 
Table 7. Number and percent distribution of days of care, and average length of stay, by age, sex, and discharge status: United States, 1965 

[Discharges from noninsbtutlonar, shurc-stay hosoitals vrlusive of Veterans Administration and military hospitals] 

Age 

Days of care

l-l Average 

Number length 

in Percent of 

thou- distri- stay 

sands bution 

I I 

Days of care 

lumber Percent ---I-- in 

thou- distrisands bution 

Average

length of 

stay 

I I 

Days of care 

Average 

Number length 

ti&-

Percent of 7-ldistri- stay 

sands bution 

Both sexes Male1 Female1 

All ages2--- 228,398 100.0 7.8 95,514 

- 100.0 8.4 132,405 - 100.0 - 7.5 

Under 15 years-- 24,410 10.7 5.3 13,648 14.3 5.3 10,720 8.1 5.4 

15-24 years----- 24,294 10.6 4.9 7,037 7.4 6.1 17,248 13.0 4.5 

25-44 years----- 52,848 23.1 6.5 17,159 18.0 7.4 35,600 26.9 6 .'l 

45-64 years----- 65,791 28.8 9.8 31,155 32.6 10.0 34,521 26.1 9.7 

65+ years------- 60,035 26.3 13.0 26,070 27.3 12.3 33,752 25.5 13.6 

Not stated------ 1,019 0.4 7.2 444 0.5 7.6 565 0.4 6.9 

Discharged alive' Discharged al .veL3 Discharged alive1v3 

All agesl--- 216,050 100.0 7.6 89,827 100.0 8.2 125,753 100.0 7.3 

Under 15 years-- 23,952 11.1 5.3 13,369 14.9 5.2 10,540 8.4 5.4 

15-24 years----- 24,216 11.2 4.9 6,996 7.8 6.1 17,211 13.7 4.5 

25-44 years----- 52,199 24.2 6.5 16,803 18.7 7.3 35,306 28.1 6.1 

45-64 years----- 62,673 29.0 9.7 29,512 32.9 9.8 33,046 26.3 9.6 

65+ years-------/ 52,064 24.1 12.6 22,744 25.3 12.2 29,116 23,2 13.0 

Not stated------ 947 0.4 7.0 403 0.4 7.3 534 0.4 6.8 

Discharged dead3 Discharged dead173 Discharged dead113 

All ages'--- 12,056 100.0 14.7 5,576 1 100.0 1 13.0 6,472 

Under 15 years-- 422 3.5 6.1 267 4.8 6.7 155 

15-24 years----- 59 0.5 5.2 38 0.7 5.7 22 

25-44 years----- 593 4.9 15.0 334 6.0 18.0 258 

45-64 years----- 3,004 24.9 13.9 1,589 28.5 13.6 1,415 

65+ years------- 7,906 65.6 16.6 3,306 59.3 13.5 4,592 

Not stated------ 72 0.6 10.4 41 0.7 11.6 30 

'Includes only episodes for which sex was stated. 

?Figures for age not stated included for "all ages," but not distributed among age groups. 

3Includes only episodes for which discharge status was stated. 

22 
Table 8. Percent distribution of discharges, by length of stay, sex, and age:

United States, 1965 

[Disc1 pas fmm noninstitutional, shortrstq hospitals exclusive of Vetersns Administration and milibry hospitals1 

Number Length of stay in days of 

disSex and age charges in 

thou- Total Under 1 2 3 4 5-6 7-8 9-10 11-20 21-30 31+ 1 

sands 

c 

Both sexes Percent distribution 

All ages?'-- 29,12c 100.0 '2.1 8.3 13.3 12.8 11.4 16.2 9.9 6.6 12.9 3.6 2.9 - -

Under 1 year----- 87? 100.0 11.5 11.8 18.5 10.5 13.0 1-4 years-------- 1,309 100.0 12.0 12.4

5-14 years------- 2,415 100.0 11.8 2: 11.5 E pj 15-24 years------ 100.0 19.8 19.2 . 25-34 yqars------ t% 100.0 16.7 Es: 20.2 8*"1

35-44 years------ pg 100.0 13.1 11:1 17.7 11:9 1;*6' 45-54 years------ 100.0 10.8 15.0 12.5 1717 55-64 years------ 3:145 100.0 8.3 2: 14.7 12.1 21.3

65-74 years------ 100.0 7.5 7:o 13.0 12.0 23.9

75+ years-------- % 100.0 13.0 11.2 24.4

Not stated------- '142 100.0 ::2 162:: 12.9 8.2 12.8 

Male' 

All agesI-- 11,361 L

100.0 2.5 9.7 13.5 10.3 9.2 15.0 10.4 6.9 14.5 

Under 1 year----- 508 lbOl0 6.6 10.4 11.1 20.0 10.1 5.7 12.7 1-4 years-------- 752 100.0 2 19.6 22.4 12.2 ::-2 . 12.0

5-14 years------- 1,331 100.0 21.2 26.8 11.4 11.4 ix 33:: ii:: 

15-24 years------ 1,148 100.0 f*5 13.6 17.1 13.6 LE 15.9 8:4

25-34 years------ 1,000 100.0 2:3 9.8 15.2 12.5 11:2 10.0 2:: 1K

35744 years------ 1,325 100.0 11.5 11.8 LO.0 E 12.0 13:9

45-54 years----- 1,528 100.0 E 2: 10.1 10.3 16:l 12.1 t:: 16.9

55-64 years------ 1,596 100.0 8.9 2: 15.1 12.0 20.5

65-74 years------ 1,198 100.0 2: 2:: k-2 13.0 12.2 z-3' 23.1

7% years-------- 917 1:9 2: ;*: 12.3 11.1 817 23.9

Not stated------- 59 E?0". 7.1 5:: 13:9 ::: 8:3 13.9 9.9 9.6 13.9 

Female' 

All agesL-- 17,709 100.0 1.9 7.4 13.3 14.4 L2.7 16.9 9.5 6.4 11.9 2.5 

Under 1 year----- 368 100.0 12.1 L2.5 16.5 11.0 6.1 4.3 1-4 years-------- 555 100.0 z 205': 295': 11.8 8.4 163-?

5-14 years------- 1,079 100.0 3:9 21:7 28:l ;2-: 26" 5:; 4:6 :*i

15-24 years------ 3,797 100.0 15.7 ::*i LX 20:2 0:5

25-34 years------ 3,326 100.0 ::8' 2;. 14.0 L8:O L7:6 21.0 2: 2: E

35-44 years------ 2,473 100.0 12.7 L3.8 17.2 11:8 13:5 "1*: . 45-54 years------ 2,010 100.0 2: 2: 10.5 L1.2 L81*97 12.9 1E 18.2

55-64 years------ 1,544 100.0 4:1 9.3 8:l E 12.2 10:5 22.1 2*:

65-74 years------ 1,332 100.0 2: 24 7.6 13:1 11.9 LO.6 24.6 6:l

75-i- yedrs-------- 1,';; 100.0 2-2 2: 13.5 11.4 24.6

Not stated------- 100.0 2 13:4 1;:; 1::: L4:8 12.4 6.9 20' 12.0 2.2 

$igures for age not stated included for "all ages," but -bnot distributed among age groups, 

21ncludes only episodes for which sex was stated. 

23 
Table 9. Percent distribution of discharges, by length Qf stay, sex, age, and color: 

United States, 1965 

[dischargesfrom noninstiWion& short-stay haspitals exclusive of Veterans Administ&ipn and militarv hospik&] 

-

Nwber T Length of stay in days 

d,o:­ Sex, age, and charges color 

tKl- Tota. Under 

1

L q-q-qqr sands 

. 

Both sexes Percent distribution 

All ages+------- 29,121: 100.0 8.3 12.t 11.4 9.9 - - - - -

Under 15 years-------- lOcl,O 18.2

15-24 years------l---- :%; 100.0 9.6 2: 1%

25-44 years----------- 81138 100.0 6.9 15:c l;f LQ+6;e4y;rs--v------- 6,69C 100.0 9.6 0

Not stated------------ 100.0 11:2 i:: 1;:: 

White2 

All ages'------- 23,016 1OO.Q 8.3 12.E -

11.4 7

10.1 

Under 15 years-------- 100.0 13.3 7.0 

T--_----_-_-- 4,;;; c 100.0 2: 

15-24 years----------- 100.0 267 l?-; 19.9

25-44 years----------- 100.0 13:2 14:o 19,l 1x 45-64 years--.-------- 100.0 8.6 15.0 12:5 65-f years---Tr-_- -__-- 100.0 69*t 13.1 12.0 

Not stated------------ 100.0 13:9 1::: 13,3 7.4 

NonwhiteP 

100.0 7.2 13.1 10.5 14.9 9.4 

Under 15 years-------- 100.0 14.9 12.0

15-24 yearsw--r-7----- 100.0 18.5 22.9 w 12,5 

25-44 years----------- 100.0 13.8 16:7 152.82

45-64 years----------- 100.0 6.5 E . U,Q 23;s 

Not stated------------ 100.0 LE 67:: 14.9 12.5 

M-3 

All ages'------- 100.0 2.5 13.5 LQ.3 7 15,o 

Under 15 years------=- 15-24 years-----------

25-44 years---.--.---- 45-64 years----------- 65+ years-------------

Not stat&------------

2,591

1,148

2,325

3,124

2,114

59 

100.0

100.0

1oa.o

100,o

100.0

100,o 

17,9

13.6 

8.6 

5,g 

ii:"3 

22.3' 

17.1 

'?Z. 

1::; 

11.6 

13.6 

L2.1 

8.8 

;.; 

. 

13.3 

u,g 

;pg 

12:7 

13.9 

7.5 

8,4

1191

12.0 

11.7 

9.9 

65+ years------y------ 100.0 la.6 26,3 

Male, white213 

'All agesl-----..- 9,094 100.0 2.6 938 L3.5 LO.3 15.2 10.5 

- Under 15 years-------- 2,021 100.0 18.2 15-24 years----------- 916 100.0 L3s5 :zi 

7.2 9; 25-44 years----------- 1,845 100,o 8.7 17:7 LX 12:7 4.5-64 years----------- 100.0 6.1 15.9 12:3 1892 &5+ years---.y-------- zso" 100.0 12.8 11.9 23.7 Not Stated---------Y-r ' 48 LOO,0 LE $3.9 8.6 14.9 

24 
------- -- 

Table 9. Percent distribution of discharges, by length of stay, sex, age, and color: 

United States, 1965-Con. 

[Discharges from noninstitutiond, short-stay hospitals exclusive of Veternns Administratjon and military hospitals1 

Number Length of stay in days of

disin 

thou- 9-10 11-20 21-30 31-b 

sands III 

Male, nonwhite~~~ Percent distribution 

897 I 100.0 2.6 7.5 10.1 9.1 9.2 14.0 10.9 7.3 17.7 6.0 5.4 

Under 15 years-------- 261 100 .o 14.0 10.6 14.2 6.8 13,2 15-24 years----------- 100.0 2: 14.1 x. 12.3 12.5 2: 5.1 13.3 25-44 years----------- 2:: 100.0 a:5 10.0 10.6 16.3 11:4 16.1 

;t6;e4y;rs----------- 100.0 6.3 ::I 7.1 14.6 12.7 2: 22.2 ----_-------- 1;; 100.0 29 11.4 6:8 26.1 Not stated------------ 5 100.0 2:: 2: 2:: 1% 28.3 3.0 12.9 

Female3 

All aged 17,709 100.0 7.4 13.3 14.4 12.7 16.9 9.5 6.4 - 11.9 

Under 15 years-------- 100.0 L8.5 23.8 12.2 12.9 6.6 15-24 years----------- f % 100.0 15.7 21.6 1E 20.2 E 1:; 25-44 years----------- 5'799 100,o E:h 13.4 16.2 15:1 19.4 10:1 ?I 45-64 years----------- 3:554 100.0 10.4 14.2 12.6 1% 19:9 65+ yea,-s e-----w----e.. 2,4;; 100.0 5'83 2: 2'7 13.3 11.7 24.6 Not stated------------ 100.0 L3:4 14:7 1::; 14:8 12.4 6.9 20’ 12.0 

Female, white"3 

All age&------- - 13 888 100.0 7.2 13.1 14.1 12.8 17.0 9.8 6.5 12.1 

Under 15 years-------- 1,583 100.0 L9.1 12.2 8.7 13.0 15-24 years----------- 2,838 100.0 :3 19.5 20.9 66':: 1:: K 25-44 years----------- 4,451 100.0 2: 13:s 1% 15.5 19.6 10:3

;g6;ez;y----------- 2,900 9.5 10:5 8.5 14.3 1;:; 1% 

--m--v-..---c- 2,049 ttE 42 13.4 z*(: 24:l Not stated--------- 68 1oo:o L3:l 1% 1% 125' 12.9 6:5 69:: 12.9 

Female, nonwhite">" 

All agesI------- 1,697 100.0

- 7.1 14,7 -

16.8 11.1 15.4 8.6 6.1 12.0 

Under 15 years-------- 196 100.0 16.1 11.8 6.9 11.5 15-24 years----------- 100.0 22 19.3 g:; :65-z f ::: 25-44 years----------- 2: 100,o 15.0 287. L6:8 285 1::; 45-64 years----------- 217 100.0 '2; 6:9 11.3 L3:7 LZ 65+ yea,-s------------ 115 100.0 2: 2; 11.8 LO.2 I?! Not stated---------- 8 100.0 13:8 518 2% 12.8 4.8 Et 13:3 

IFigures for age not stated included for "all ages, I' but not distributed among age groups. 

'Includes only episodes for which color was stated. 

31ncludes only episodes for which sex was stated. 

23 
Table 10. Percent distribution of discharges, by length of stay, sex, age, and marital status for patients

15 years of age and over: United States, 1965 

[Discharges fromnoninstitutional, short-stay hospitals exclusive of VeteransAdministration and military hospitals] 

marital status1 in 

thousands 

11-20 21-30 l- 31+ 

Both sexes Percent distribution1 

All ages,

15+ yearsg------- 24,377 100.0 

- 1.7 6.4 11.5 13.0 11.8 16.8 - 10.4 

- 7.2 14.1 4.0 - 15-24 years-----------

25-44 years-----------

45-64 years-----------

65+ years-------------

8% 

61690 

4,601 

100.0 

100.0 

100.0 

100.0 

2.4 

1.6 

16.0 

13.3 

19.8 17.2 19.2 

13.8 19.0 

'Z 14.9 

7:o 13.0 

1E 

12:3 

11.7 

2’3 E 

5:6 2: 8.3 

Both sexes, 

married3 

All ages,

15+ years2------- 17,712 100.0 1.6 11.7 13.9 12.9 17.5 10.4 7.0 3.4 

15-24 years-----------

25-44 years-----------

45-64 years-----------

65+ years-------------

2,975

7,134

5,368

2,234 

100.0 

100.0 

100.0 

100.0 

;:; 

1:5 

$2 

917 

7.4 

22.4 20.6 20.9 

15.3 14.4 

9.9 E-1 

7 :4 ;:i 13:3 

lZ.63 

12:5 

11.9 

21 E 

514 E 7.9 

Both sexes, 

,unmarried3 

All ages, 15+ years"------- 6.066 100.0 1.7 11.1 10.7 8.7 15.0 10.5 7.7 

Wnber Length of stay in days of 

dis­ sex, age, and charges 

22 Z 28 

15-24 years----------- 1,865 100.0 2 11.7 18.5 16.1 16.7 1.4 25-44 years----------- 878 100.0 12.7 12.1 17.4 $1 $3 3.2 45-64 years----------- 1,168 100.0 1:2 z*: ,14.1 65+ years------------- 2,154 lOO.0 i.4 317 t:; ::: 12.9 11:5 9:5 2: 

Male4 

All ages, 15+ years2------- 8,711 100.0 2.0 7.3 10.8 9.9 15.6 11.2 7.8 16.8 5.2 

15-24 years----------- 1,148 100.0 17.1 13.6 15.9 25-44 years----------- 2,325 100.0 1.1313.6 

13.1 12.1 

‘Iii-i 18.0 1% 

5.1 

127-Z ?i 45-64 years----------- 3,124 100.0 1:6 t-: 8:6 15.6 12.0 iv: 1817 6:l 65+ years------------- 2,114 100.0 1.8 4:6 97.4 . ;:; 7.2 12.7 11.7 9:c 23.5 8.2

Male, marriedsY4 

All ages, 15+ yearsa------- 6,244 100.0 1.7 6.5 10.7 9.8 9.4 16.2 11.8 8.0 16.9 5.2 3.7 

15-24 years----------- 267 LOO.0 3n.C 15.5 13.5 L3.2 18.3 7.6 4.9 25-44 years----------- 1,918 100.0 45-64 years----------- 2,662 100.0 2: 13.4

Z 

12.4 LO.9 18.5 11.3 19: 

8.9 15.9 12.4 287 18:5 65+ years------------- 1,396 100.0 1:6 7.3 ;:: 13.3 12.2 9:1 22.1 

26 
100.0 

'Table 10. rercent distribution of discharges, by length of stay, sex, age, and marital status for patients 15 years of age and over: United States, 1965-Con. 

[Dischargesfrom noninstitutional, short-stay hospitals exclusive of Veterans Administration and military hospitals] 

Qmber Length of stay iu days of 

dis- Sex, age, and charges 

thousands 

7-8 

I 

Male, unmarried3'4 Percent distribution 

All ages, 15+ years?-------

15-24 years----------- 25-44 years----------- 45-64 years-----------

65+ years-------------

2,169 

2:

379 

617 

100.0 2.4 

3.1 100.0 . ?'; z%*:1:a 

9.0 

13.7 

z-19 

4:6 

11.4 10.3 8.4 14.1 9.9 

17.5 14.0 10.8 15.1

11.6 10.0 16.0 1E

2: 14.4

57:; 2: 6:l 11.6 1::: 

7.4 16.5 

1218 

20:5 

26.4 

5.4 5.2 

1.9 

?:Z 

8.7 

marital stat& in 

Female4 

All ages, , 15+ years2------- 15,624 100.0 1.6 A 6.0 11.9 14.7 13.2 17.4 9.9 6.8 12.6 2.6 

15-24 years----------- 3,797 100.0 15.7 21.6 19.0 20.2 

45-64 years---------- 65+ years------------- 9%, 

100.0 

100.0 Z 

4:3 

3.8 2; w . lz*i 

6:7 

24 

13:3 

12:6 

11.7 

LO:6 

9.5 

19:9 

24.6 

Female, married3'4 

All ages, 15+ yearsS------- 11,445 100.0 1.6 6.0 12.2 16.1 14.8 18.2 9.6 6.4 10.9 

15-24 years----------- 25-44 years----------- 45-64 years-----------

ZE1oo:o I:: 2: 14.2 

13.4 

23.2 

16.4 

21.3 21.1 

52 t-i 2; 

25-44 years----------- 5,799 100.0 2:; PI 13.4 16.2 1E Z-15 G-12 

11.0 %*zi ::-: 12:6 Lo:9 19:4 65+ years------------- 100.0 i:: i:: 2: 7.5 717 13:2 11.4 9.2 24.7 

Female, unmarried3y4 

Alll* ages,

years2 -___-_- 3.883 100.0 1.4 5.7 10.8 8.9 15.4 10.9 L7.9 17.4 

15-24 years---------- 25-44 years-..--------- 1,;;; 100.0 10.1 17.8 13.0 

100.0 13.5 23 1:::

;&6;e4yzrs----------- 784 3:; 8.5 ------w------ 1,532 c%i . . 6.4 28" 2: . 

IThe married group includes legally separated persons. Widowed, divorced, and never married persons constitute the unmarried group. 

?tncludes only patients discharged known to be 15 years of age and over. 

%ncludes only episodes for which marital status was stated. 

%ncludes only episodes for which sex was stated. 

27 
------------- 

Table 11. Percent distribution of discharges, by length of stay, sex, age, and discharge status: United

States, 1965 

[Discharges from noninstitutional, short-stay hospltsls exclusive of Vetecans Administration and military hospitals] 

Number Length of stay in days 

Of

dis- Sex, age, and charges discharge status in 

thou- Total Under 1 2 3 4 5-6 7-8 9-10 11-20 21-30 31+ 1 

sands 

Both sexes Percent distribution 

All ages'------- 29,120 100.0 2.1 8.3 13.3 12.8 11.4 16.2 9.9 6.6 12.9 3.6 -

Under 15 years-------- 100.0 18.2 13.1 15-24 year------------ 25-44 E?: 2: years----------- E 45-64 years----------- 1oo:o 14:s 65+ year's------------- 100.0 2: i3.a Not stated------------ 142 100.0 11:2 12.9 

Both sexes, 

,discharged alive2 

All ages'------- 28.266 100.0 13.5 13.9 16.4 12.8 2.6 

Under 15 years-------- 100.0 23.1 12.0 13.2 7.1 

E-2 years-----------

45164 years-----------

65+ years-------------

Not stated------------

%*8 

1oo:o 

100.0 

13.3 

22 

1417 

1E . 

9':: 

:z*: 

13:5 

13.3 

12:: 

12:s 

12.,2 

a ..7 

10.1

19.4 

2: . 

Both sexes, 

. d&charged dead? 

All ages'------- 818 100.0 13.5 11.7 8.1 7.7 18.3 10.6 

years----------- 100.0 16.0 19.8 19.2 ::.: 

Under 15 years-------- 69 100.0 43.5 17.9 lo,6 2.7 15-24 years----------- 11 100.0 31.8 16.5 ::f; 1X 25-44 years----------- 100.0 11.4 ::*t 13:6 i5.j 45-64 years----------- 2:: 100,o 12.6 12:5 x z 18.7 65+ years --_-----m--m- 476 a:3 LO:8 sot stated----------- 7 %i . 209:: % . 2:; 4.9 202*69 . 7.8

Male3 

All ages'------- 11,361 100.0 2.5 9.7 13.5 10.3 15.0 10.4 14.5 

Under 15 years-------- 15-24 years-----------

25-44 years-----------

;+";,,ers-----------

Not stated------------

2,591

1,148

2,325 

2% 

' 59 

100.0 

100.0 

100.0 

100.0 

100.0 

100.0 

2: 

a:6 

i.$ 

a:3 

22.3 

17.1 

13.1 

9.4 

1::; 

11.6 

13.6 

l82*81 

$8" 

. 

13.3 

15.9 

18.0 

:z 

13:9 

7.5 

1?4 

12:o 

%i . 

6.7 

32 

:t*: 

13:9 

Male, 

discharged alive%a 

All ages'------- 10,917 100.0 2.1 9.7 13.7 10.5 15.3 10.5 14.3 3.2 

Under 15 yeaits----s--- 2,548 100.0 22.5 11.7 7.5 15-24 years----------- 1,140 100.0 17.2 13.7 E-d :;: 25-44 years----------- 2,304 100.0 12.1 la:1

I++6$e;;rs----------- 100.0 1X 9.0 15.9 

-m---m-----_- x!: 100.0 7:1 13.1 Not stated------------ ' 55 100.0 14.0 2; 14.8 10.5 

28 
-- 

---- 

Table 11. Percent distribution of discharges, by length of stay, sex, age, and discharge status: United 

States, 1965-Con. 

Lblscnargesfromnoninstitutional,short-stayhospitalsexclusive of Veterans AdministEation and military hospitals] 

-

Number Length of stay in days of 

disdischarge status in Iota1 thouUnder 

1 

1 2 3 4 5-6 7-8 9-10 11-20 21-30 31+ 

sands 

Male, Percent distribution 

discharged dead 

All agesi------- 430 I 100.0 13.8 12.1 6.9 5.6 4.8 8.0 6.0 5.4 18.9 8.5 LO.0 

Under 15 years-------- 15-24 years-----------

40 100.0 

7 100.0 

39.2 

43.3 

21.4 

21.2 

11.8 3.1 5.4 4.3 4.7 0.8 

;,:; 

2.8 

Sex, age, and charges 

25-44 years----------- 100.0 11.0 15.2 2:. 61:: i1.i 2:: . Lg.6 45-64 years----------- ;;': 100.0 13.3 14.3 ;:I L1.0 65+ years mm--- ---e--m- 100.0 9.3 2: 63': . 2; 3-Z . 2; 21.3 982 ~~~ stated---------- 4 100.0 2% 11:9 20:8 415 5.0 23:0 LE. 

Female" 

All agesl------- 17,709 100.0 1.9 7.4 13.3 14.4 12.7 16.9 9.5 6.4 11.9 3.1 2.5 

Under 15 years-------- 18.5 12.2 12.9 6.6 15-24 years- ---m-m f 9:; E*: 8.4 21.6 20.2 A:; 25-44 years----------- 51799 1oo:o 16.2 19.4 93'2 45-64 years----------- 100.0 Z 19:9 4:: 6% year-------------- m 100.0 '2: ES 24.6 Not state+--------- ' a2 100.0 1::: 10:7 12:4 12.0 I:$ 

Female, 

discharged alive!J 

All agesI------- 17,300 100.0 7.3 14.6 12.9 17.1 9.6 11.8 3.0 2.3 

Under 15 years-------- 1,970 100.0 18.6 12.3 13.0 

25-44 yea,------------

45-64 years-----------

65+ years-------------

Not stated------------

xi 

3:451 

2,239

79 

100.0 

100.0 

100.0 

100.0 

i-z 

0:6 

3.2 

$:i 

. 

1::: 

16.2 

10.5 

1E 

% 

618 

13.9 

19.4 

14.5 

13.8 

12.5 

10:1 

12.7 

12.2 

7.2 

2z 

25:0 

12.5 

262 

814 

2.5 

::; 

2: 

Female, 

discharged dead%3, 

All age&------- 387 100.0 13.2 11.3 5.6 7.4 6.0 17.6 7.6 11.4 

15-24 years----------- 100.0 3:: 21.6 1::: 20.2 E-ii ?"2 0':; 0':: 

Under 15 years-------- 29 100.0 

"?5" 4.4 5.6 ?I ::ti 2.6 15-24 years----------- 5 

1.9 6.9 - 25-44 years----------- :EE 1817 7.3 45-64 years----------- i91 Loo:0 10.4 fx 6.6 % 2: 'E 65+ year+--------- 230 LOO.0 10.8 5:4 6:0 6:2 .1:4 Not stated------------ 3 LOO.0 14.5 37.2 LE 8.9 

'Figures for age not stated included for "al.1 ages, " but not distributed among age groups. 

'Includes only episodes for which discharge status was stated. 

31ncludes only episodes for which sex was stated. 

29 
Table 12. Civilian,noninstitutional population used in obtaining rates shown in this publication,

by sex and age: United States, July 1, 1965 

Age Ez$ // Male 1 Female 

Population in thousands1 

189,787 91,989 97,798 

Under 1 year---------------------------------------------------------- 3,855 1,887 l-4 years------------------------------------------------------------- 16,564 i?E 8,109 5-14 years------------------------------------------------------------ 39,322 19:968 15-24 years----------------------------------------------------------- 28,914 13,815 2x:

25-34 years----------------------------------------------------------- 21,400 10,187 11:213

35-44 years------------------'------------------------------------------ 23,845 11,447 12,397 45-54 years----------------------------------------------------------- 21,725 10,508 11,217 55-64 years----------------------------------------------------------- 16,728 7,988 8,739 65-74 years----------------------------------------------------------- 1;,;;: 5,034 6,200 75$ years------------------------------------------------------------- , 2,618 3,583 

lThese are unpublished estimates provided by the Bureau of the Census and made consistent with 

the estimates of the civilian resident population by age and sex for July 1, 1965, published in 

Current Population Reports, Series P-25, No. 321. 

Table 13. Civilian, noninstitutional population aged 15 years and over used in obtaining rates 

shown in this publication, by age, sex, and marital status: United States, July 1, 1965 

Sex and marital status All ages, 15-24 25-44 45-64 65+ 

15+ years years years years years 

Population in thousands1 

Both sexes------------------------------------- 130,045 28,914 45,244 38,452 17,435 

Married' --------_-___---__-_------------------------- 88,696 8,474 39,544 31,305 9,373 

Unmarried3 -_-----__----__---------------------------- 41,349 20,440 5,700 7,147 8,062 

. Male------------------------------------------- 61,597 13,815 21,634 18,496 7,652 

Married2 -_------_-_--__-__--------------------------- 43,464 2,902 18,649 16,258 5,655 

UnmarriedS------------------------------------------- 18,133 10,913 2,985 2,238 1,997 

Female---------------------------;-------------- 68,448 15,099 23,610 19,956 9,783 

Married2--------------------------------------------- 45,232 5,572 20,895 15,047 3,718 

Unmarried3 ---------------__-------------------------- 23,216 9,527 2,715 4,909 6,065 

'These unpublished estimates, provided by the Bureau of the Census, are consistent with/the

estimates of the civilian resident population as of July 1, 1965 published in Current Population

Reports, Series P-25. 

21ncludes persons legally separated. 

?ncludes widowed, divorced, and never married persons. 

30 
APPENDIX I 

TECHNICAL NOTES ON METHODS 

Background of This Report 

This is the third report in a series of statistical 

reports concerned with data collected in the Hospital 

Discharge Survey. It is based on information abstracted 

from the hospital medical records of a sample of discharges occurring during 1965 and represents the first 

full year of data available from this survey. 

This report presents detailed statistics on hospital 

utilization during 1965 as related to characteristics of 

discharged patients. Reports are being prepared that 

will present more detailed information on patients discharged from short-stay hospitals by characteristics of 

hospitals and by region. Reports relating utilization to 

diagnoses and surgical operations and procedures are 

also being planned. 

Statistical Design of the Hospital 

Discharge Survey 

Scope of the survey.-The scope of this surveyencompasses patients discharged from noninstitutional 

hospitals having six beds or more for inpatient use, 

located within the 50 States and the District of Columbia, 

and having an average length of stay of less than 30 

days. 

Well-newborn infants are out of scope of the survey. 

Newborn infants are in scope only if at least one of the 

following conditions have been specified in the medical 

record. 

1. Immaturity or prematurity 

2. Any disease, condition, syndrome, disorder, 

injury, malformation, or birth defect 

3. Any operation or surgical procedure other than 

routine circumcision 

4. Birth occurred under nonsterile conditions 

Samplingframe and sizeof sample.-The sampling 

frame for hospitals in the Hospital Discharge Survey is 

the Master Facility Inventory (MFI). Adaetailed description of how the MFI was developed, its content, plans 

for maintaining it, and procedures for assessing the 

completeness of its coverage has been publishedP 

The universe for the survey consisted of 6,965 

short-stay hospitals, excluding military and Veterans 

Administration hospitals (VA) contained in the MRI in 

1963. The distributions of these hospitals by bed size 

and region in the universe (MFI), and in the sample of 

the survey are shown in table I. Some of the sample 

hospitals participated in the survey during all of 1965, 

whereas other hospitals participated for only 6 months 

because they were not inducted into the surveyuntil the 

latter half of 1965. Distributions of hospitals that participated for 12 months and for 6 months are shown 

separately. 

The sample of hospitals for 1965 as originally 

drawn consisted of 315 hospitals; of these, 8 hospitals 

refused to participate, 5 did not submit any abstracts 

during the year, and 6 were out of scope either because 

the hospital had gone out of business or because it failed 

to meet the definition of a short-stay hospital. (See 

Appendix III for definition of a hospital in the Hospital 

Discharge Survey.) Thus, there were 296 in-scopeparticipating hospitals in the survey during 1965. 

Sample design.-All hospitals of 1,000 beds or more 

in the universe (exclusive of VA and military hospitals) 

were selected with certainty in the sample. All hospitals 

having less than 1,000 beds were stratified, with the 

primary strata beingthe bed-size-by-regionclasses, 

as shown in table I. Within each of these 24 primary 

strata, the allocation of the hospitals was made through 

a controlled selection technique so that hospitals in the 

sample would be properly distributed with regard to 

ownership and geographic division. Sample hospitals 

were drawn with probabilities ranging from certainty 

for the largest hospitals to 1 in 40 for the smallest 

hospitals. 

The within-hospital sampling ratio for selecting 

discharges varied inversely with the probability of 

selection of the hospital. The smallest fraction of discharged patients was taken in the largest hospitals, and 

the largest sampling fraction was taken in the smallest 

hospitals. This was done to compensate for the fact 

that hospitals were selected with probabilities’ proportionate to size and to assure that the overall probability 

of selecting a discharge would be approximately the 

same in all hospitals. 

31 
-------- 

Table I. Distribution of short-stay hospitals in the universe (MFI) and in the Hospital Discharge Survey sample, by geographic region, bed size, and number of months of participation in the 

survey, 1965 

T Region 

Bed side and number of months of participation

in the survey All North- North 

regions east Central South West 

All sizes 

Universe------------------------------------ ---v-- 6,965 1,107 1,979 2,620 1,259 -

Total sample---------------------------------------- 315 85 6 months------------------------------------------------ 150 E :z 12 months-------------------------------------- --e-_--m- 165 287 47 47 

6-49 beds 

3,113 199 830 1,438 646 

Total sample---------------------------------------- 39 11 15 fj months------------------------------------------------ 20 :. 6 8 12 months----------------------------------------------- 19 3 5 7 

50-99 beds 

Universe------------------------------------------ 1,623 288 442 587 306 

Total sample---------------------------------------- 6 months------------------------------------------------

12 months-----------------------------------------------

44 

22 

22 

12 

6 

6 

16 

i 

LOO-199 beds 

1,144 277 378 332 157 

Total sample---------------------------------------- 6 months------------------------------------------------

12 months----------------------------------------------- % 

31 

16 

8" 

20 

:: 

:: 

9 

r: 

4 

200-299 beds 

552 182 151 1.34 85 

Total sample---------------------------------------- 6 months------------------------------------------------

12 months-----------------------------------------------

55 

;; 

19 

10 

9 

16 

: 

12 

E 

300-499 beds 

Universe---------------------------------- -----e-- 386 110 129 96 

Tot-1 sample---------------------------------------- 6 months------------------------------------------------

12 months----------------------------------------------- Sk? 

29 

16 

i 

10 

19 

9 

16 

: 

500-999 beds 

Universe------------------------------------------ 129 42 46 28 13 

Total sample---------------------------------------- 37 12 12 

6 months -_-_--_-___-___-_------------------------------- 12 months----------------------------------------------- :; 

6 

6 2 

: 

3 

1,000 beds and over 

Universe- ____-__--_--_-_--___------------- 18 3 1 

Tot-1 sample---------------------------------------- 18 3 1 6 months------------------------------------------------

12 months----------------------------------------------- 1S ; ; 

32 
In nearly all hospitals, the daily listing sheet of 

discharges was the frame from which the subsamples 

of discharges were selectedwithin the sample hospitals. 

The sample discharges were selected by random techniques, usually on the basis of the terminal digit(s) of 

the patient’s medical record number-a number assigned when the patient was admitted to the hospital. 

If the hospital’s daily discharge listing did not show the 

medical record numbers, the sample was selected by 

starting with a randomly selected discharge and taking 

every kth discharge thereafter. 

Data collection.-Depending on the study procedure 

agreed upon with the hospital administrator, the sample 

selection and the recording of information from the 

hospital records to the abstract form were performed 

either by the hospital staff, by representatives of the 

National Center for Health Statistics, or by both. In 

more than three-quarters of the hospitals, this work 

was performed by a member of the hospital staff in the 

medical records department. In nearly all the remaining 

hospitals, the work was performed by the Bureauof the 

Census, acting on behalf of the National Center for 

Health Statistics. 

Two versions of the abstract form were used: an 

optical mark page reader form (see fig. 1) and a conventional form. During 1965, all survey hospitals except one used the mark page form. Both forms contained identical information, but their formats differed 

and they were processed somewhat differently. Th.e 

preparation of a punchcard was not required for the 

mark page abstract form because the coded information was converted directly to computer tape by an 

optical mark page reader machine. The coded information on the conventional abstract form was reproduced 

on a punchcard, which was then converted to computer 

tape. 

Data process&-Shipments of completed abstract 

forms for each sample hospital were transmitted to the 

Center for processing. Every shipment of abstracts 

was reviewed; each abstract form was edited, and, as 

necessary, problems were referred to the hospitals for 

clarification and correction. 

Estimation.-Statistics produced by the Hospital 

Discharge Survey are derived by an estimating procedure. The basic unit of estimation is the sample patient 

abstract. The estimating procedure used to produce 

essentially unbiased national estimates in the HDS has 

three principal components: (1) inflation by reciprocals 

of the probabilities of sample selection; (2) adjustment 

for nonresponse; and (3) ratio adjustments to fixed 

totals. Each is described briefly below: 

A. Inflation by reciprocals of the sampling probabilities. 

The statistical data for the sample of dis­

*charged patients reported by each of the hospitals participating in the survey are inflated 

by the reciprocal of their probabilities of selection. Since the survey utilizes a two-stage 

sample design there are two probabilities: (1) 

the probability of selecting the sample hospitals; 

and (2) the probability of selecting the discharged patient within the sample hospital. 

B. Nonresponse adjustment 

1. Hospital nonresponse adjustment: Among the 

309 in-scope hospitals selected in the sample, 

13 were nonrespondents for all sample months 

of calendar year 1965, and 4 hospitals were 

nonresponding for at least 1 but not all sample 

months. Imputation for nonresponding hospitals 

was carried out within each of the 28 bed-sizeby-region strata (see table I) for each calendar 

month. The adjustment is made by a multiplier 

ratio, the numerator of which is the number of 

beds in the sample hospitals as recorded in the 

Master Facility Inventory and the denominator 

of which is the number of beds in those sample 

hospitals responding for that month. This adjustment has the effect of imputing to the nonresponding hospitals the information from the 

responding hospitals. 

2. Abstract nonresponse adjustment: Of the 

101,492 abstracts expected from responding 

in-scope sample hospitals, 1,105 were not 

received. Imputation for these missing abstracts was carriedoutfor each samplehospital 

in each calendar month. The adjustment is made 

by dividing the number of abstracts expected 

for a calendar month by the number of abstracts 

actually received for that month. This adjustment has the effect of imputing to the 1,105 

missing abstracts the information reported on 

the 100,387 abstracts received. 

The two stages of nonresponse adjustment imputed approximately 6 percent of the discharges. 

C. Ratio adjustments to fixed totals 

1. First-stage ratio adjustment: Afirst-stageratio adjustment was included only in the estimation of patients discharged for sample hospitals in the 24 strata with bed sizes less than 

1,000. The adjusting multiplier ratio is obtained 

by dividing the total number of MFI beds in a 

stratum, corrected for out-of-scope hospitals, 

by the number of beds estimated from the sample for that stratum. 

2. Second-stage ratio adjustment: This adjustment was made for each of the responding inscope sample hospitals for each calendar month 

for all statistics which were derived from two 

stages of estimation. The adjustment is made 

using a multiplier factor obtained by dividing 

the total number of discharges in a month by 

33 
the product of (1) the number of sample dis- tained from the abstract form, the monthly sample listcharges in that month; and (2) the reciprocal ing sheet transmitted by the sample hospital was used 

of the within-hospital sampling fraction. The as an additional source of information. If these dates 

purpose of this adjustment is to correct for could not be established from the sample listing sheets, 

deviations from the expected within-hospital then the abstract form was referred back to the hospital. 

sample size. Factors affecting intevpvetation of rates. - The 

detailed tables (frequency and percent) show the extent D. Special note to which certain personal characteristics of the disOne additional differential weight was applied charged patient were not reported. However, in comto discharges from hospitals in noncertainty puting rates of discharge and days of care per 1,000 

strata. This weight was required to adjust for persons, the “not stated” cases were included in the 

the fact that there were approximately twice as rates for “total” but excluded from the rates for submany hospitals in the sample during the last 6 classes. This procedure should not alter the rates 

months as there were during the first 6 months. appreciably, since utilization rates were calculatedonly 

for those personal characteristics of the discharged 

General Qualifications patient for which the number of not statedcases represented less than 3 percent of the discharges. Rates of 

Abstracts rejected in the compute inspection discharge and days of care per 1,000 persons were not 

Yun.-For 1965, 100,387 abstracts were received from computed by color since color was not stated in the 

the 296 hospitals that participated in the survey. In a survey for about 12 percent of the discharges. 

computer inspection run, approximately 6 percent of Population figwes. -The base populations used in 

these abstracts were rejected for one or more of the computing the rates are unpublished estimates for the 

following reasons: (1) poor marking on the abstract U.S. civilian, noninstitutional population as of July 1, 

form, (2) impossible code, and (3) missing entry. 1965, provided by the Bureau of the Census. These esThe majority of rejects were corrected byreview- timates are consistent with estimates of the civilian 

ing and editing the information on the abstract forms. resident population published by the Bureau of the 

However, where it was impossible to correct the code Census in Cuvvent Population Reports, Series P-25, 

of a rejected item, that item was coded as “not stated” but they are not to be considered official population 

and tabulated as such. The latter procedure applied to estimates. 

all items except “date of admission” and “date of dis- Rounding of numbers.cEstimates relating to discharge ,‘I which were not permitted to be coded as “not charges and days of care have been rounded to the 

stated.” In instances where these data could not be ob- nearest thousand. For this reason detailed figures withTable II. Relative standard errors of the estimated number of dischargea,days of carej and of the 

average length of stay, by selected patient characteristics: Hospital Discharge Survey, 1965 

Discharges Days of care 

I 

Average length of stay 

Characteristic Number Relative Number Relative Relative 

standard in standard In standard 

..- . 

tcnl- error in thou- error in 

sands percent sands percent .~ 

days error in 

percent 

All discharges----------------------- 129,120 1.6 '228,398 

Alive--------------------------------------

Dead---------------------------------------

Married? ----------------_--_--------------- Males--------------------------------------

28,266 1.7 216,050

818 4.5 12,056

17,712 1.9 134,876

11,361 1.7 95,514 

Age: 6% years-------------------------------- 4,601 5-14 years-------------------------------

Under 1 year-----------------------------

2,415

877 

IIncludes discharges for which one or more characteristics was not stated. 

?.ncludes only patients known to be 15 years of age and older. 

34 
in tables do not always addto totals. Percents and rates 

were calculated on the basis of original, unrounded 

figures and will not necessarily agree with rates and 

percents which might be calculated from rounded data. 

Reliability of Estimates 

The estimates given in this report, being based on 

a subsample of discharges from a sample of shortstay hospitals, may differ somewhat from the results 

that would have been obtained if based on all discharges 

from all short-stay hospitals. The standard error is a 

measure of sampling variability. The chances are about 

68 out of 100 that the value obtained in a complete 

enumeration (the parameter) is conmined in a confidence 

interval represented by plus and minus one standard 

error of the estimate. The chances are 95 out of 100 

that the parameter is in the confidence interval bounded 

by two standard errors on either side of the estimate, 

and they are 99 out of 100 that the parameter is in the 

ooointerval bounded by 2% standard errors on either side 

of the estimate. The relative standard error ofan estimate is obtained by dividing the standard error of the 

estimate by the estimate itself, and is expressed in 

this report as a percentage of the estimate. 

One of the striking attributes of probability sampling is that it permits the sample data to become the 

basis for estimating sampling error. Each statistic 

presented in this report has its own standard error and 

it is possible to estimate that standard error from the 

sample data. But these estimates of standard error are 

also subject to sampling error. For this reason there 

is some degree of uncertainty about the reliability of 

the calculated standard errors, especially until a period 

of ,experience has accumulated for a new survey. In 

table II, estimated relative standard errors are presented for a selection of several types of statistics presented in this report. At a later date, additional experience and computations will yield a more comprehensive 

display of sampling errors. 

35 
APPENDIX II 

COMPARISON OF THE ESTIMATE 

FROM TtiO 

The most recent report on hospital utilization from 

the Health Interview Survey (HIS) is for the 12-month 

reference period preceding interviews conducted over 

the interval July 1963-June 1964.2 The HIS estimate for 

the living population was 23,800,OOO discharges. According to the Hospital Discharge Survey (HDS) there 

were 29,120,OOO discharges during 1965. 

On an a ptiovi’ basis the HDS might be expected to 

produce the better estimate of total number of discharges from short-stay hospitals because its scope is 

more comprehensive-e.g., it includes stays of less 

than 1 night and the experience of persons not alive at 

the time of interview-and because the reporting is by 

hospital, based upon written records, Contrastingly, the 

HIS should be the richer source for many types of 

analysis, since much more demographic and sociologic 

data on individuals can be secured in the household 

interview, and the survey technique provides denominators which in turn permit the calculation of hospital 

utilization rates for subcategories and domains of persons. 

For nearly a decade, and with a variety of techniques , including mathematical models, internal analyOF THE NUMBER OF DISCHARGES 

SURVEYS 

sis, special surveys of decedents, reinterview, recordcheck studies, and computer microsimulation, there 

has been a concerted effort to evaluate the accuracy of 

statistics on hospital utilization based on household 

interview data. Much of this effort has hinged around 

two facts: (1) the interview survey covers only the 

living population and thus excludes the hospital utilization experience in the reference period of persons not 

living at the time of the interview; and (2) the living 

population reports less than all of its experience because of faulty recall and other problems. A comparison of estimates of hospital utilization based on the 

Health Interview Survey and the Hospital Discharge 

Survey is difficult because the two systems necessarily use different definitions, are somewhat different in 

scope, and cannot exactly be matched as to the calendar 

period covered. 

In table III, there is a reconciliation of the HIS and 

the HDS estimates of the number of discharges during 

1965, in the following terms: tb.e interview figures have 

been modified-sometimes on the basis of inadequate 

data-to conform to HDS definitions and scope. 

Table III. Reconciliation of the Health Interview Survey and the Hospital Discharge Survey with 

respect to the estimated number of discharges from short-stay hospitals: United States, 1965 

Discharges in 

thousands 

A. ms estimates-------------------------------------------------------------------

B. The HIS estimate (not yet published) for the

recall------------------------------------------------------------------------~living population, based on 6-month 

C. Add to B: 

persons discharged dead----------------------------------------------------820 

Other omitted experience of decedents --------------------------------------350 

Stays of less than 1 night-------------------------------------------------620 

Adjustment to make chronological reference period of I-IDS coincide with HIS-300 

Estimated "technical" admissions of well persons ---------------------------loo 

Military persons in civilian hospitals, and short-stay discharges of 

institutional population--------------------------------------------------300 

D. Deduct from B: 

Discharges of civilians from military or Veterans Administration hospitals----

E. Net adjusted HIS----------------------------------------------------------------

F. Difference A minus E------------------------------------------------------------

29,120 

24,220 

2,490 

930 

25,780 

3,340 

36 
In table III the difference (line F) is 11.5 percent 

of the HDS estimate (line A). Consolidatedevidencefrom 

the HIS evaluation studies has indicated that the interview data may reflect underreporting of about 9 percent. 

Since the standard error of the estimated difference 

between the two sample surveys is 2 percent of total 

discharges, the above comparisons are consistent with 

one another, and indeed at the usual 95-percent confidence level the residual unexplained discrepancy is 

within sampling error. 

It would be realistic, however, to recognize that 

not all questions of definition and scope have been adequately resolved. Sources of possible further problems 

in these areas, known but not quantified, couldhave led, 

it is believed, to additional miscounts in either survey 

of up to a half-million discharges. 

37 
APPENDIX III 

DEFINITIONS OF CERTAIN TERMS USED IN THIS REPORT 

Terms Relating to Hospitalization 

Hospital .-In this survey an establishment is a 

hospital if it meets all of the following conditions: 

1. It maintains at least six beds for use by inpatients 

2. It provides inpatient medical care under the 

supervision of a duly licensed doctor of medicine 

or doctor of osteopathy 

3. It provides nursing service 24 hours adayunder 

the supervision of a registered nurse 

4. It maintains medical records for each patient 

admitted and for newborn infants 

Short-stay hospital.,-A short-stay hospital is one 

in which the average length of stay is less than 30 days. 

Bed.-A bed is one set up and staffed for continuous (24 hour) use by inpatients. Beds in emergency 

rooms, labor rooms, postanesthesia or posto.perative 

recovery rooms, or other such facilities, which are 

regularly maintained and utilized for only a portion of 

the patient’s stay and are primarily for special procedures and not for lodging, are not termed (inpatient) 

beds. Cribs and bassinets maintained for use by other 

than newborn infants are considered beds. 

Patient and inpatient.-A patient is a person admitted to a hospital who occupies a hospital bed for 

observation, care, diagnosis, or treatment. “Patient” 

and “inpatient” are used synonymously. 

Well-newborn infants.-Well-newborn infants are 

those who satisfy all of the following criteria: 

1. The birth was at term or was not otherwise 

specified and there was no mention of immaturity or prematurity 

2. No diagnosis of anydisease,condition, disorder, 

syndrome, injury, malformation, or defect was 

made by the physician attending the birth 

3. No operation (other than routine circumcision) 

was performed 

4. The birth occurred under sterile conditions 

I 

Discharge.-Discharge refers to the formal release 

of an inpatient by a hospital. Newborn infants, however, 

who satisfy the criteria for a well-newborn infant (see 

definition), are not counted as discharges. 

Discharge status.--Discharge status is the condition (i.e., either alive or dead) of a patient upon being 

discharged. 

1Discharge rate.-The discharge rate is the ratio 

of the number of discharges divided by the size of the 

midyear population. 

Day of care--The unit of measuredenotinglodging 

facilities provided and services rendered to one inpatient 

between 2 successive days. When a patient is admitted 

and discharged on the same day, the period is counted 

as 1 day of care for purposes of calculating the average 

length of stay. 

Days of caYe rate.-The days of care rate is the 

ratio of the aggregate number of days of care divided 

by the size of the midyear population. 

Length of stay.-The length of stay is the number 

of days a patient was hospitalized exclusive of the day 

of discharge. When a patient is admittedanddischarged 

on the same day, the length of stay is less than 1 day. 

Average length of stay.-The average length of 

stay is the aggregate days of care divided by the number 

of discharges. In computing the average length of stay, 

a stay of less than 1 day is counted as 1 day. 

Percent of beds occupied.8-This is the ratio of the 

number of patient days of care divided by the number of 

patient days which would have been provided if every 

hospital bed had been occupied each day. 

Daily rate of bed usage.-The rate of hospital bed 

usage is the aggregate number of days of care occurring 

in a specified period divided by the product of the number of days in the period and the size of the midyear 

population. It is a measure of hospital utilization similar to the days of care rate except that it is expressed 

as the daily usage per 100,OOOLpersonsrather than 

annual usage per 1,000 persons. 

Demographic Terms 

Age.-Age refers to the age at last birthday at the 

time of admission to the hospital. Whenever possible, 

information is obtained on date of birth. 

, 38 
CO&W.-III this report, the population has been Marital status.-Marital status applies only to 

divided into white and nonwhite. Meticans and Puerto persons 15 years of age and over in this report. 

Ricans are considered white unless specifically iden- Married includes persons who are married or sepa­

.,tified as a member of a nonwhite race. The nonwhite rated, umnarried includes persons who are single, 

group includes the Negro, American Indian, Asian widowed, or divorced. 

bxdian, Chinese, Japanese, Aleut, Eskimo, Hawaiian, United States. -The 50 States and the District of 

Pilipino, Korean, and Malayan races. Columbia. 

-oo39 
OUTLINE OF REPORT SERIES FOR VITAL AND HEALTH STATISTICS 

Public Health Service Publication No. 1000 

Series 1. Progr/ams and collection procedures.- Reports which describe the general programs of the National 

Center for Health Statistics and its offices and divisions, data collection methods used, definitions, 

and other material necessary for understanding the data. 

Series 2. Data evaluation and methods research. -Studies of new statistical methodology mcutding: experimental tests of new survey methods, studies of vital statistics collection methods, new analytical 

techniques, objective evaluations of reliability of collected data, contributions to statistical theory. 

Series 3. Analytical studies. -Reports presenting analytical or interpretive studies based on vital and health 

statistics, carrying the analysis further than the ehpsitory types of reports in the other series. -

Series 4. Documents and committee reports. -Final reports of major committees concerned with vital and 

health statistics, and documents such as recommended model vital registration laws and revised birth 

and death certificates. 

Series 10. Data from tht? Health Interview Survey.- Statistics on illness, accidental injuries, disability, use of 

hospital, medical, dental, andother services, andotherhealth-related topics, based on data collected 

in a continuing national household intervievr survey. 

Series 11. Data from the Health Examination Survey .-Data from direct examination, testing, and measurement of national samples of the population provide the basis for two types of reports: (1) estimates 

of the medically defined prevalence of specific diseases in the United States and the distributions of 

the population with respect to physical, physiological, and psychological characteristics; and (2) 

analysis of relationships among the various measurement s without reference to an explicit finite 

universe of persons. 

Series 12. Data from the Institutibnul Population Surueys .-Statistics relating to the health characteristics of 

persons in institutions, and on medical, nursing, and personal care received, based on national 

samples of establishments providing these services and samples of the residents or patients. 

Series 13. Data from the Hospital Discharge Suruey .-Statistics relating to discharged patients in short-stay 

hospitals, based on a sample of patient records in a national sample of hospitals. 

Series 20. Data on mortality.-Various statistics on mortality other than as included in annual or monthly 

reports-special analyses by cause of death, age, andother demographic variables, also geographic 

and time series analyses. 

Series 21. Data on natality, marm‘age, anddivorce. -Various statistics onnatality, marriage, and divorce other 

than as included in annual or monthly reports- special analyses by demographic variables, also 

geographic and time series analyses, studies of fertility. 

Series 22. Data from the Xationul Fatality and Mortality Surveys. - Statistics on characteristics of births and 

deaths not available from the vital records, basedon sample surveys stemming from these records, 

including such topics as mortality by socioeconomic class, medical experience in the last year of 

life, characteristics of pregnancy, etc. 

For a list of titles of reports published in these series, write to: Office of Information 

National Center for Health Statistics 

U.S. Public Health Service 

Washington, D.C. 20201