How did the share of inpatient surgeries change from 1981 to 1999?

• A. It fell from 81% to 37%
• B. It rose from 37% to 81%
• C. It remained around 50%
• D. It rose to 90%

Answer: (A)

The trend being tested is the shift from inpatient to outpatient (same-day) surgeries over time. Between 1981 and 1999, the share of surgeries performed with an inpatient stay decreased markedly, dropping from about 81% to around 37%. This reflects the rapid growth of ambulatory surgery centers, advances in anesthesia and pain control, and cost pressures that favored procedures not requiring overnight admission. So the best choice shows a substantial decline in inpatient share across those years. The other possibilities would imply an increase, stability around half, or a rise to very high levels, which doesn’t match the observed shift toward outpatient care.