Abstract 305: Characteristics of Heart Failure Patients Referred to the Bridge Transitional Care Clinic By Time to Readmission

Abstract

Background: Readmission reduction initiatives emphasize prompt follow-up post-discharge. Identifying factors that influence early readmission may inform discharge planning. We compared characteristics of heart failure (HF) patients (pts) based on time to readmission to determine which pt characteristics were associated with early readmission. Methods: Pts referred to the BRIDGE clinic following index admission for HF from 2008-2017 were eligible. Demographics and inpatient clinical characteristics were compared between 1) pts who were and were not readmitted within 30 days post-index discharge, and 2) pts who were readmitted early (0-7 days post-discharge) versus late (8-30 days post-discharge). Results: Of 978 HF pts, 226 (23.1%) were readmitted within 30 days. Compared to those not readmitted, 30-day readmits were more likely to be male, white, and have higher NYHA class, longer index stay, ICU admission during index admission, and lower Hgb, higher Cr, and higher BUN during index admission. Among those with a 30 day readmit, 56 (24.8%) were readmitted within 7 days of discharge. Early readmits were more often female (p=0.07) and had index stays in the ICU (p=0.07). Conclusion: Pts readmitted within 30 days had more complicated hospital courses than those not readmitted, and those readmitted early had higher incidences of females and index stays in the ICU. Efforts to define a high risk subset of HF pts likely to be readmitted early and targeting them for enhanced discharge planning is warranted.