Patient-reported experiences and outcomes following hospital care are associated with risk of readmission among adults with chronic health conditions

Abstract

This study quantifies the association between patient reported measures (PRMs) and readmission to inform efforts to improve hospital care. A retrospective, cross-sectional study was conducted with adults who had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or congestive heart failure (CHF) and were admitted for acute care in a public hospital in New South Wales, Australia for any reason (n = 2394 COPD and 2476 CHF patients in 2018-2020). Patient- level survey data were linked with inpatient data for one year prior to risk-adjust outcomes and after discharge to detect all cause unplanned readmission to a public or private hospital. Ninety-day readmission rates for respondents with COPD or CHF were 17% and 19%. Crude rates for adults with COPD were highest among those who reported that hospital care and treatment helped "not at all" (28%), compared to those who responded, "to some extent" (20%) or "definitely" (15%). After accounting for patient characteristics, adults with COPD or CHF who said care and treatment didn't help at all were at twice the risk of readmission compared to those who responded that care and treatment helped "definitely" (Hazard ratio for COPD 1.97, CI: 1.17-3.32; CHF 2.07, CI 1.25-3.42). Patients who offered the most unfavourable ratings of overall care, understandable explanations, organised care, or preparedness for discharge were at a 1.5 to more than two times higher risk of readmission. Respect and dignity, effective and clear communications, and timely and coordinated care also matter. PRMs are strong predictors of readmission even after accounting for risk related to age and co-morbidities. More moderate ratings were associated with attenuation of risk, and the most positive ratings were associated with the lowest readmission rate. These results suggest that increasing each patient's positive experiences progressively reduces the risk of adults with chronic conditions returning to acute care.