Quality and Outcomes Reports - Ear, Nose and Throat
Average Length of Stay by Diagnosis
Why we measure it - We realize the importance of not having a child stay in the hospital any longer than necessary. The average time a child is in the hospital depends on many factors including the seriousness of the illness or injury. Medical therapies can have a significant impact on recovery and length of hospital stay.
What this means - Patients at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin have a shorter length of stay for major larynx and trachea procedures, a one day length of stay for tonsil and adenoid procedures and a slightly longer length of stay for sinus and mastoid procedures compared to our competitors.
About the data - This graph shows the average number of days a child stays at Children's Hospital before going home, by diagnosis, compared to Pediatric Hospital Information System peers. PHIS hospitals represent other leading freestanding pediatric hospitals.
Related dimensions of care:
What we're doing to provide the best care:
- We have pediatric-trained anesthesiologists and an excellent Pediatric Intensive Care Unit staffed by pediatric experts. This helps us achieve better outcomes than our peers.
- We offer a special long-term follow-up clinic for children with serious conditions to identify any problems as early as possible and provide support as necessary.
- We provide a nurse call line so parents have reassurance they can reach a nurse or doctor with any questions or concerns. Parents can call (414) 266-7514 during clinic hours (9 a.m. - 5 p.m. weekdays) and a nurse will call back within two hours. After hours or on weekends and holidays, parents can call (414) 805-3666 and ask for the otolaryngology doctor on call.
- We have a highly specialized outpatient surgery area staffed by nurses and other pediatric experts trained in the care of our patients. They keep the unit running smoothly, anticipate parents' questions and provide education to parents on what to look for and how to take care of their child at home.
- We have two nurses dedicated to the care of tracheostomy patients from the initial evaluation and surgery through long-term follow-up. A discharge coordinator also helps arrange for home nursing care for patients.
- We offer the Family Accommodations Program to help make travel arrangements and coordinate appointments for families traveling to our center from a long distance.
Patients and families:
- Be an advocate for your child. Participate in daily bedside clinical discussions, and provide any information about your child that may be helpful to staff.
- Follow medical instructions fully and carefully before and after surgery.
- Ask questions if you don't understand the plan of care or if you are not sure how to care for your child at home.
- Attend any and all follow-up appointments.
Referring physicians:
- Referring physicians can access our specialists for consultation or transport 24 hours a day. Call our physician referral line at (800) 266-0366.
- Health care providers from outside of our southeastern Wisconsin service area are encouraged to use our web-based
e-Consult service. This service is available for non-urgent patient cases only and gives providers access to our specialists to review patient cases, obtain medical advice or second opinions, and receive care recommendations for rare symptoms and illnesses.
e-Consult is not to be used by the general public, parents/guardians or families. - Care guidelines for medical professionals
- Educational materials
- Pocket Directory
If you have questions about this information, email us or call (414) 266-6556.