Hospital readmissions at a tertiary care children's hospital: Prevalence, associated characteristics, and preventability.

Abstract

Hospital readmissions in pediatrics are a severe, potentially avoidable problem of health systems. In our setting, there is little information about this topic. To estimate the rate of readmissions, the proportion of potentially preventable readmissions, and their associated characteristics. Cross-sectional study including hospital readmissions of patients aged 0-18 years, admitted to a tertiary care children's hospital between January 1st and December 31st, 2018. Readmissions were assessed as potentially preventable based on whether they were or not related to the previous admission. Out of 8228 hospital admissions recorded in the study period, the rate of readmissions for any cause was 10 % at 30 days and 7.1 % at 15 days. The proportion of readmissions classified as potentially preventable was 47.9 % at 30 days and 47.5 % at 15 days. No statistically significant differences were observed between readmissions at 30 and 15 days in terms of patient age, health insurance, presence of chronic disease or cause of readmission. The rate of hospital readmissions was 10 % at 30 days and 7.1 % at 15 days of discharge; almost half of them were considered potentially preventable.