Inappropriate hospital admissions are defined as those which do not result in health
benefit for the patient or in such benefit that could have been obtained on a lower
care level. Studies from many parts of the world have reported high rates of such
admissions. It is commonly believed that they represent a potential for significant
cost reductions. However, this assumes that they can be identified at the time of
admission, and, furthermore, that their cost is comparable to that of appropriate
admissions. These assumptions were investigated in the Department of Internal
Medicine at the University Hospital of Tromsø
