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Site of hospital readmission and mortality: a population-based retrospective cohort study.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Unplanned hospital readmission is a complex process, particularly if the patient is readmitted to an acute care institution other than the original hospital. This study tested the hypothesis that readmission to an alternative hospital is associated with increased mortality compared with readmission to the original hospital. METHODS: We performed a population-based retrospective cohort analysis set between 1995 and 2010 for all 21 acute care adult general hospitals in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area. Participants were consecutive adults (age ? 18 yr) readmitted through the emergency department within 30 days after hospital discharge. The primary outcome measure was all-cause mortality within 30 days after readmission. RESULTS: Of the 198 149 patients included in the study, 38 134 (19.2%) died within 30 days after readmission. Patients readmitted to an alternative hospital were more likely than those readmitted to the original hospital to be older, reside in a chronic-care facility and arrive by ambulance. Alternative-hospital readmission was associated with a higher risk of death within 30 days (22.3% v. 18.6%, p < 0.001; odds ratio [OR] 1.26, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.23-1.30). The increased risk was substantially less after adjustment for patient- and hospital-level covariables (adjusted OR 1.06, 95% CI 1.02-1.10). Unadjusted Kaplan-Meier survival curves separated early and the absolute difference in mortality continued throughout the entire 1-year follow-up period, but no difference between groups was observed based on adjusted survival analyses. INTERPRETATION: Among patients readmitted within 30 days after discharge, readmission to an alternative hospital was associated with a higher risk of death than readmission to the original hospital. Whether this adverse prognosis reflects a true causal relation or residual confounding is unknown.

SUBMITTER: Staples JA

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4084742 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Site of hospital readmission and mortality: a population-based retrospective cohort study.

Staples John A JA Thiruchelvam Deva D Redelmeier Donald A DA

CMAJ open 20140401 2

<h4>Background</h4>Unplanned hospital readmission is a complex process, particularly if the patient is readmitted to an acute care institution other than the original hospital. This study tested the hypothesis that readmission to an alternative hospital is associated with increased mortality compared with readmission to the original hospital.<h4>Methods</h4>We performed a population-based retrospective cohort analysis set between 1995 and 2010 for all 21 acute care adult general hospitals in the ...[more]

PMID: 25077133

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Project description:ObjectivesTo determine whether high performing hospitals with low 30 day risk standardized readmission rates have a lower proportion of readmissions from specific diagnoses and time periods after admission or instead have a similar distribution of readmission diagnoses and timing to lower performing institutions.DesignRetrospective cohort study.SettingMedicare beneficiaries in the United States.ParticipantsPatients aged 65 and older who were readmitted within 30 days after hospital admission for heart failure, acute myocardial infarction, or pneumonia in 2007-09.Main outcome measuresReadmission diagnoses were classified with a modified version of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' condition categories, and readmission timing was classified by day (0-30) after hospital discharge. Hospital 30 day risk standardized readmission rates over the three years of study were calculated with public reporting methods of the US federal government, and hospitals were categorized with bootstrap analysis as having high, average, or low readmission performance for each index condition. High and low performing hospitals had ≥ 95% probability of having an interval estimate respectively less than or greater than the national 30 day readmission rate over the three year period of study. All remaining hospitals were considered average performers.ResultsFor readmissions in the 30 days after the index admission, there were 320,003 after 1,291,211 admissions for heart failure (4041 hospitals), 102,536 after 517,827 admissions for acute myocardial infarction (2378 hospitals), and 208,438 after 1,135,932 admissions for pneumonia (4283 hospitals). The distribution of readmissions by diagnosis was similar across categories of hospital performance for all three conditions. High performing hospitals had fewer readmissions for all common diagnoses. Median time to readmission was similar by hospital performance for heart failure and acute myocardial infarction, though was 1.4 days longer among high versus low performing hospitals for pneumonia (P<0.001). Findings were unchanged after adjustment for other hospital characteristics potentially associated with readmission patterns.ConclusionsHigh performing hospitals have proportionately fewer 30 day readmissions without differences in readmission diagnoses and timing, suggesting the possible benefit of strategies that lower risk of readmission globally rather than for specific diagnoses or time periods after hospital stay.

Project description:OBJECTIVE:The lack of coordinated and appropriate healthcare across sectors has produced more patients for county hospitals in China. This study examined differences in patient choice between township and county hospitals for readmission after a first township hospitalisation, and the determinants that influenced this choice. DESIGN:A retrospective study of readmissions across hospitals after a first admission in township hospital. A township-township (TT) inpatient group and a township-county (TC) inpatient group were compared. A two-level logistic regression model was used to examine the determinants of choice for hospital readmission. SETTING:Data were drawn from a population-based health utilisation database for Qianjiang District, China, from 1 January 2008 to 31 December 2013. PARTICIPANTS:This study focused on readmitted patients whose first admission was in a township hospital. Readmission cases were identified as the same diagnosis (International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision) in a subsequent hospitalisation within 30 days. In total, 6764 readmissions had first admissions in township hospitals. PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES:Patient choice for hospital readmission after a first township hospitalisation. RESULTS:The TT group accounted for 62.5% (4225) and the TC group for 37.5% (2539) of readmissions in 6 years, and the proportion of TC readmissions in total inpatients increased from 1.66% to 1.89%. Readmission rates varied among towns (p<0.001). Differences between the TC and TT groups included: length of stay (LOS) of first admission (6.96 days vs 9.23 days), average interval between admissions (6.03 days vs 14.95 days) and disease category. Admission year, age, travel time to county hospital, interval between admissions, first admission LOS and disease category were determinants of choice for hospital readmission. CONCLUSIONS:Patients whose first admission was in a township hospital were more likely to be readmitted to a county hospital. A combination of first LOS and interval between admissions may be an effective identification index for TC readmission. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER:ChiCTR-OOR-14005563.

Project description:BackgroundMedicare's Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program reports risk-standardized readmission rates for traditional Medicare but not Medicare Advantage beneficiaries.ObjectiveTo compare readmission rates between Medicare Advantage and traditional Medicare.DesignRetrospective cohort study linking the Medicare Provider Analysis and Review (MedPAR) file with the Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS).Setting4748 U.S. acute care hospitals.PatientsPatients aged 65 years or older hospitalized for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) (n = 841 613), congestive heart failure (CHF) (n = 1 458 652), or pneumonia (n = 2 020 365) between 2011 and 2014.Measurements30-day readmissions.ResultsAmong admissions for AMI, CHF, and pneumonia identified in MedPAR, 29.2%, 38.0%, and 37.2%, respectively, did not have a corresponding record in HEDIS. Of these, 18.9% for AMI, 23.7% for CHF, and 18.3% for pneumonia resulted in a readmission that was identified in MedPAR. However, among index admissions appearing in HEDIS, 14.4% for AMI, 18.4% for CHF, and 13.9% for pneumonia resulted in a readmission. Patients in Medicare Advantage had lower unadjusted readmission rates than those in traditional Medicare for all 3 conditions (16.6% vs. 17.1% for AMI, 21.4% vs. 21.7% for CHF, and 16.3% vs. 16.4% for pneumonia). However, after standardization, patients in Medicare Advantage had higher readmission rates than patients in traditional Medicare for AMI (17.2% vs. 16.9%; difference, 0.3 percentage point [95% CI, 0.1 to 0.5 percentage point]), CHF (21.7% vs. 21.4%; difference, 0.3 percentage point [CI, 0.2 to 0.5 percentage point]), and pneumonia (16.5% vs. 16.0%; difference, 0.5 percentage point [95% CI, 0.4 to 0.6 percentage point]). Rate differences increased between 2011 and 2014.LimitationPotential unobserved differences between populations.ConclusionThe HEDIS data underreported hospital admissions for 3 common medical conditions, and readmission rates were higher among patients with underreported admissions. Medicare Advantage beneficiaries had higher risk-adjusted 30-day readmission rates than traditional Medicare beneficiaries.Primary funding sourceNational Institute on Aging.

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Site of hospital readmission and mortality: a population-based retrospective cohort study.

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Site of hospital readmission and mortality: a population-based retrospective cohort study.

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