An economic analysis was performed at the University of Sassari (Italy) teaching hospital, to evaluate the economic impact of treating a set percentage of patients, admitted in the years 2002-2004 and assigned to one of the 43 Diagnosis Related Groups considered at "high risk of inappropriateness", as outpatients or day-hospital patients as opposed to treating them as inpatients.The actual economic impact consisted in substantial savings for the paying body but lower returns for the healthcare service delivery facility. The estimated potential impact of utilizing the updated DRG rates for day hospital services (2005 rates), may lead to possible further loss of receipts for the facility.