Krankenanstalten in Österreich/Hospitals in Austria

Hospitals in Austria
The steady increase in inpatient stays can be explained in large part by the rising number of
day cases up to 2002. Part of the increase in day cases between 1996 and 1997 can be attributed
to the 1996 amendment to the Federal Hospitals Act (regulation of day and night clinics).
Since then, from 1997 onwards, those day-clinic services which had been invoiced as outpatient
cases through special contracts, have all, without exception, had to be documented as
inpatient stays. During the recent years, however, it has to be assumed that the number of
day clinic cases has de facto increased.
Development of day cases in hospitals funded by provincial health funds
1991
Development in absolute terms Share in total stays in %
16.1
14.5
15.2
14.6
12.8 12.8
14.1
92,556
391,164
9.2 11.8
7.0 7.6
10.2
5.7
5.9
6.1 6.6
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
Source: BMGFJ – Hospitals in figures, inpatient stays (Figure 3)
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
1991
The average length of stay (midnight figures for stays between 1 and 28 days) in hospitals
funded by the provincial health funds has been reduced continuously over the past few years
and was 5.7 days in 2006.
Development of the average length of inpatient stays (of between 1 and 28 days)
in hospitals funded by provincial health funds, in days
7.20
7.07
6.74
6.59
6.45
6.31
6.19
23
1992
1993
1994
1995
6.08 5.97
1996
1997
5.87
1998
1999
5.80
1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
Source: BMGFJ – Hospitals in figures, inpatient stays (Figure 4)
Austrian hospitals recorded more than 18 million bed days in 2006, a number which has been
reducing continuously over many years but has been rising again slightly in 2006. In addition
to the inpatient cases, Austrian hospitals reported about 16 million outpatient frequencies in
2006. Finally, it should be mentioned that Austrian hospitals have some 126,000 employees
(full time equivalents), whose number has been increasing slightly over the past few years,
particularly as a result of rising numbers of physicians and qualified nursing staff.
The information provided above and more information on the development of the Austrian hospital
sector since 1991 is available on the ministry’s web site „Krankenanstalten in
Zahlen/Hospitals in Figures“ (http://www.kaz.bmgfj.gv.at). Additional information on another
segment of the Austrian hospital sector, independent outpatient health-care centres, will be
available soon.
2000
2001
5.71
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006