Bed Occupancy Rate = the ratio of the total number of bed-days actually occupied to the total number of bed-days actually open, which reflects the ratio of beds in use to beds available each day.
The total number of bed days actually occupied should be accumulated from the actual number of people occupying beds every day, based on the daily dynamic statement of each department; the total number of bed days occupied by the discharged is the total number of days of hospitalization of the number of people discharged, based on the number of days of hospitalization of the discharged patients, the total number of days of the actual beds used to calculate the rate of beds and the average number of working days of the average hospital beds.
The total number of bed days occupied by discharges is only used to calculate the average number of days discharges stayed in the hospital, and there is a difference between the two indicators. Total bed days actually occupied reflects workload dynamics from a bed perspective, while total bed days occupied by discharges reflects workload dynamics from a person perspective.
Bed occupancy is calculated from the ratio of total bed days actually occupied to total bed days actually open, and clearly reflects the ratio of beds in use to beds available on a daily basis.
Standards
Current standards for what hospital bed occupancy rates should be maintained are difficult to agree on. The Hill--Burton program, which is responsible for hospital development, has long used an 85 percent bed occupancy rate to determine the need for additional hospital beds. U.S. national health plan guidelines set a minimum average bed occupancy rate of 80 percent for general hospitals, 75 percent for obstetrics, and 65-75 percent for pediatrics, depending on size.
State bed utilization standards vary widely, depending on size or equipment. However, bed occupancy standards are critical to hospital planning. Hospitals can expand or maintain their number of beds based on their actual or expected bed utilization. Planning and management also determine overall bed needs based on bed utilization.
For example, one state requires hospitals with more than 150 beds to have an occupancy rate of more than 92 percent before expansion is allowed. Another state includes a minimum bed utilization rate in setting reimbursement for hospital care. Our domestic public hospitals generally have bed utilization rates of 85% or more, with tertiary hospitals generally reaching 90% or more. Private hospitals are generally below 80 percent, with the worse only around 50 percent.