Background: The COVID-19 pandemic was an unprecedented global challenge that placed extensive pressure on health systems. This crisis led to significant changes in the supply and demand for healthcare services and notably affected hospital resource utilization patterns. The aim of the present study was to examine and analyze changes in the performance indicators of Imam Khomeini Hospital in Ardabil before and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at Imam Khomeini Hospital in Ardabil. Data on hospital performance indicators were extracted from the standard "Form 1-201" of the Treatment Deputy of the Ministry of Health, which is uniformly used nationwide for hospital productivity monitoring. The indicators analyzed included bed occupancy rate, bed turnover rate, bed interval, average length of stay, and crude and net death rates. These indicators were analyzed by month, season, and department.
Results: The findings showed that the bed occupancy rate decreased by 3% to 30% across some departments. Bed turnover declined from 69.5 patients to 55.5 patients. Conversely, the bed interval increased from 1.2 days to 2 days, and the average length of stay increased from 4.1 days to 4.6 days. Additionally, the crude and net death rates increased by 3.4% and 3.7%, respectively.
Conclusion: The results of this study demonstrate significant and meaningful changes in the performance indicators of Imam Khomeini Hospital in Ardabil during the period before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. These findings can contribute to future planning aimed at enhancing the efficiency and resilience of hospitals when facing similar crises.