Table 1. Operational definitions of variables in the analyses.
| Variable | Operational Definition | Scale | Type of Variable | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dependent Variable | ||||
| CLABSI incidence rate | the number of CLABSI cases divided by the number of central line days and multiplied by 1000. | Per 1 000 central line days | Discrete | |
| Independent Variable | ||||
| Bed capacity | Number of licensed beds | Under 125; 125–249; 250 and above |
Categorical (ordinal) | |
| Location | Location of the facility | Urban area; rural area |
Categorical (nominal) | |
| Ownership | Owner of the health care facility | Government; Non-profit; For-profit |
Categorical (nominal) | |
| Health system affiliation | Close tie of a health care facility to a larger organization | Affiliated; non-affiliated |
Categorical (nominal) | |
| Teaching status | Presence of a teaching program for medical students and/or a post-graduate medical training program | Teaching; Non-teaching |
Categorical (nominal) | |
| Hospital Accreditation | Hospitals that meet the Joint Commission International standards and evaluation methods | Accredited; non-accredited | Categorical (nominal) | |
| Cofounding Variable | ||||
| Case-mix index | The average relative diagnosis-related group (DRG) weight of a hospital’s inpatient discharges | Payment rate | Discrete | |