Table 1 Details of participating hospitals and units.
| Control units (n = 10) | Intervention units (n = 10) | |
|---|---|---|
| Hospital characteristics | ||
| Major city | ||
| Hospital 1 | – | ICU |
| Hospital 2 | Medical (cardiology) | Medical (neurology) |
| ICU | ED | |
| Surgical (GI) | Surgical (GI) | |
| Hospital 3 | General surgical | General medical |
| ED | ||
| Hospital 4 | Medical (neurology) | Medical (cardiology) |
| Regional | ||
| Hospital 5 | General medical | ED |
| General surgical | ||
| ICU | ||
| Hospital 6 | ED | General medical |
| General surgical | ||
| ICU | ||
| Department characteristics | ||
| Number of ICU beds | 21 | 42 |
| Major city | 15 | 34 |
| Regional | 6 | 8 |
| Number of OBDs in baseline and study period (for combined medical, surgical and ICU areas) | 90 142 | 97 134 |
| Major city | 68 399 | 76 251 |
| Regional | 21 743 | 20 883 |
| Number of patient discharges in baseline and study period | 15 916 | 15 043 |
| Major city | 10 434 | 10 419 |
| Regional | 5412 | 4624 |
| Number of ED attendances in baseline and study period | 78 264 | 66 669 |
| Major city | 60 949 | 44 057 |
| Regional | 17 315 | 22 612 |
ED, emergency department; GI, gastrointestinal; ICU, intensive care unit; OBDs, occupied bed days.