July 28, 2016

HIDA Extended Care Market Pulse™ Reveals Six Consecutive Quarters Of Expansion

Alexandria, Va. – Medical product demand in the extended care market remains in expansion mode for the sixth consecutive quarter, according to the HIDA Market Pulse™ acuity-weighted utilization index. Demand experienced slight expansion in Q2 2016 with a positive index of 23.8, a 7.5 decrease from Q1 2016 when the index showed moderate expansion. Medical product demand growth was driven by national increases in patient admissions and acuity rates, while occupancy, average length of stay, and cost per patient day remained flat.

“This quarter’s trend is in line with historical data,” said Gina Smith, HIDA’s Director of Business Development. “Typically, the extended care market experiences slower growth in the second and third quarters of the year, but utilization has been in expansion mode nonetheless.” Smith also noted nearly all facilities experienced overall index decreases when measured by bed size and by region. The one exception was the Northwest region, where facilities saw a nine-point index increase due to acuity, occupancy, and admissions growth.

HIDA’s extended care index is derived from a quarterly real-time survey of more than 250 skilled nursing facility administrators, presidents, and CEOs, identifying crucial factors that affect demand. Positive index readings indicate slight, moderate, or extreme market expansion, while negative readings show contraction. For more information, visit www.HIDA.org/MarketPulse.