Scenario: The CEO just assigned you to serve as the executive liaison to the Utilization Review Committee (a medical staff committee). For years, the committee has reviewed physician-specific length of stay data. Two of the physicians consistently keep many of their patients in the hospital longer than the average LOS for several DRGs. When confronted, they claim that their patients are sicker and older and that they are practicing higher-quality medicine than their colleagues.

Discussion: There are many ways to develop a formal approach to reducing length of stay while maintaining quality; identify and discuss one. Be sure to discuss the strengths and limitations of the method you identified.