The 1987 US Hospital AIDS Survey

Abstract

The National Public Health and Hospital Institute conducted a survey of 623 acute care hospitals to obtain information on inpatient and outpatient care of persons with AIDS (PWAs). This article summarizes and comments upon 1987 data from 322 responding hospitals. Participants answered questions in six categories: general inpatient utilization; demographic and risk-group characteristics; hospital organization and staffing of AIDS treatment programs; outpatient information; financial characteristics of inpatient and outpatient care; and specific treatments available for PWAs. Institutions also were asked to report cost, charge, and revenue per day for non-AIDS patients. The authors conclude that hospital losses due to financial shortfalls and the growing volume of PWA care reinforce the need for policy changes to insure that hospitals, particularly public hospitals, are adequately reimbursed for AIDS care, and to encourage the development of alternatives to inpatient treatment. (KIE abstract)