Purpose of admission and resource use during cancer hospitalizations.

This study examined the role of purpose of admission (POA) in hospitalizations for lung, colon, and breast cancers, using the 1985 20-percent Medicare provider analysis and review file. Six POA categories were created from discharge abstract data. Average hospitalization charges, per diem charges, length of stay, and rates of death varied significantly by POA (p < .001). Rural and small hospitals were more likely to admit patients for palliation, while urban and large hospitals admitted relatively more patients for active interventions (p < .0001). POA and indicators of case complexity added only modestly to the ability of diagnosis-related groups to predict hospitalization charges.