HCUP - The Case for the Present-on-Admission (POA) Indicator

This new Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) Report present evidence from studies that already exist, or are underway, on the case for (or against) inclusion and collection of the “Present on Admission” (POA) indicator that discriminate between comorbidities and complications in hospital administrative data.

In New York, the label was originally “Other Diagnosis Emergent Indicator,” and is now known as the “Present on Admission Indicator.” In Canada, the label is “Diagnosis Type Indicator.” Some researchers also refer to the POA as a “date stamp" or the "6th digit" of the diagnosis code. They all represent the same concept.

This report also reviews what is known about educational programs needed to implement the indicator in a way that will make the POA data element valid and reliable for improving case-mix, quality-of-care, and other measures, as well as for risk-adjustment for many comparative purposes.

Report