Demography and health indicators: bed turnover interval: practice question

A PSM question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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PSM · Demography and health indicators: bed turnover interval

Sample item

A 100-bed hospital had 2,400 inpatient days and 200 discharges including deaths in a 30-day month. On average, how many days did a bed stay empty between one patient leaving and the next arriving?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

C. 3 days

Turnover interval is the average idle time of a bed between discharge and the next admission. Available bed days are 100 times 30, or 3,000; empty bed days are 3,000 minus 2,400, or 600; 600 divided by 200 discharges gives 3 days.

Option by option

  • A. 6 days

    This halves the average length of stay and matches no formula.

  • B. 12 days

    This is the average length of stay (2,400 divided by 200), not the idle interval.

  • C. 3 days (correct)

    Correct. 600 empty bed days divided by 200 discharges is 3 days.

  • D. 0.5 days

    This inverts the calculation and is much too small for 600 empty bed days across 200 turnovers.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

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Questions about this PSM question

What is the answer to this PSM question?

The best answer is C, 3 days. Turnover interval is the average idle time of a bed between discharge and the next admission.

Why is "6 days" not the answer?

This halves the average length of stay and matches no formula.

Why is "12 days" not the answer?

This is the average length of stay (2,400 divided by 200), not the idle interval.

Why is "0.5 days" not the answer?

This inverts the calculation and is much too small for 600 empty bed days across 200 turnovers.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Demography and health indicators: bed turnover interval in PSM. Available bed days are 100 times 30, or 3,000; empty bed days are 3,000 minus 2,400, or 600; 600 divided by 200 discharges gives 3 days.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as a multi-step question: it asks you to combine more than one idea. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Demography and health indicators: bed turnover interval?

Practise biostatistics with small calculations until sensitivity, predictive values and risk measures are automatic. Then use the flashcards and the other PSM questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.