Variations in length of stay of inpatients with COVID-19: A nationwide test of the new model of care under vision 2030 in Saudi Arabia

Objective: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has impacted the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) as it has other nations. However, length of stay (LOS), as a healthcare quality indicator, has not been examined across the healthcare regions in the KSA. Therefore, this study aimed to examine factors associated with LOS to better understand the Saudi Health System's performance in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the newly suggested five Saudi regional business units (BUs). Methods: A retrospective study was conducted using Ministry of Health (MOH) data on hospital LOS during the period from March to mid-July 2020. Participants were adult inpatients (18 years or older) with confirmed COVID-19 (n = 1743 patients). The 13 regions of the KSA were united into the defined five regional BUs during the reorganization of the health system. Covariates included demographics such as age and sex, comorbidities, and complications of COVID-19. A multiple linear regression with stepwise forward selection was used to model LOS for other explanatory variables associated with LOS, including demographic, comorbidities, and complications. Results: The mean LOS was 11.85 days which differed significantly across the BUs, ranging from 9.3 days to 13.3 days (p value