Which of the following metrics indicates the average length of stay in a hospital?

The metric that indicates the average length of stay in a hospital is the average length of stay (ALOS). ALOS is a key performance indicator that quantifies the average duration that patients remain in a hospital during their admissions. This metric is crucial for hospitals as it helps in assessing the efficiency of patient care, resource utilization, and workforce management.

A high ALOS may suggest potential inefficiencies in patient management or care processes, whereas a lower ALOS could indicate effective treatment protocols or the possibility of early discharges. Hospitals often monitor ALOS closely because it can impact operational costs and overall hospital performance.

The other options, such as occupancy percentage and service utilization rate, measure different aspects of hospital operations. Patient care satisfaction reflects the quality of care from the patient's perspective but does not directly relate to the duration of stay. Thus, ALOS is specifically designed to capture the average length of time patients are hospitalized.