Report on Inpatient Hospital Deaths

A new government report looks at inpatient hospital deaths. Margaret Hall of the National Center for Health Statistics explains why people do not usually die in a hospital.  “While it is probably due to the fact that the end of life often does not require hospital care and other levels of care are being considered by doctors, patients and their families.” Data from the National Hospital Discharge Survey from 2000–2010 shows the number of inpatient hospital deaths decreased 8%, from 776,000 in 2000 to 715,000 in 2010, while the number of total hospitalizations increased 11%. Hall says hospital death rates declined overall from 2000 to 2010. “Although improvements in hospital care could result in lower deaths rates it is also possible that the acute condition the person was in the hospital for was cured or taken care of.” Hall says the average age for people who die has not changed much in the last decade. “The average age hasn’t changed for deaths very much, it was 72 in 2000 and 73 in 2010 and most of those people who did die in the hospital were over 85.” To read the complete report, visit www.cdc.gov/nchs.