Canadian Health Information Management Association Practice Exam

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Study for the Canadian Health Information Management Association Exam. Test your knowledge with flashcards and multiple choice questions, detailed explanations included. Ensure your success on the exam!

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What is the length of stay (LOS) for a patient admitted and discharged on the same day after 12 hours?

0 days.
1 day.
12 hours.
13 hours.

The correct answer is: 12 hours.

Length of stay (LOS) is a critical metric in healthcare that captures the duration of a patient's hospitalization. It traditionally measures the time from admission to discharge, often expressed in days. When considering a patient who is admitted and discharged on the same day, even if the duration of the stay is less than 24 hours, it is common to still consider it as a single day of care. However, in this scenario, since the patient stayed for 12 hours specifically, the most appropriate and accurate representation of the LOS is indeed 12 hours. This precise measurement highlights the exact time the patient spent under care, which can be crucial for analyzing patient flow, resource management, and billing purposes. The other choices provide interpretations that either round the duration up without providing the exact timing (such as assessing it as a whole day or excessive hours) or diminish the importance of conveying the actual time spent in care. Therefore, capturing the LOS as 12 hours is significant for accurate record-keeping and analysis within healthcare settings.