1004-P: Association of Social Needs with 30-Day Readmission and Length of Stay

Abstract

Introduction: The objective of this study was to investigate if social needs are associated with inpatient quality metrics (30-day readmission [30DR], length of stay [LOS]) and if the relationship differed for individuals with and without diabetes. Methods: We used the data from electronic medical records at a tertiary academic hospital in Southern Wisconsin for patients aged 18 years or older with inpatient encounters during which data on social needs were collected between February 2021 to December 2021. Patient demographics including age, gender, race, and insurance along with comorbidities, social needs, LOS and readmission information were extracted for the index inpatient encounter. The social needs items included financial strain, food insecurity, housing insecurity, and transportation need. Appropriate models were run to assess the association of social needs with the outcomes, overall and with interaction for DM status Results: Overall, 13,010 patients were included in our study. Only 7.2% reported presence of any social needs with financial strain as the most frequently reported need (5.3%) and 24% of the sample had diabetes. Overall, there was no significant association of the presence of any social needs with either 30DR or LOS. In addition, there were no significant interactions for DM status indicating relationship was similar for individuals with and without DM. Conclusion: The overall prevalence of any material needs was much lower than national estimates. Presence of social needs was not associated with 30RR and LOS. Investigation is needed for best practices in collecting social needs in inpatient setting. Disclosure S.Bhandari: None. R.J.Walker: None. A.Z.Dawson: None. J.S.Williams: None. L.E.Egede: None.