Abstract
To identify the preventability, determinants and causes of unplanned hospital readmissions within 30 days of discharge using a multidisciplinary approach and including patients' perspectives. A prospective cross-sectional single-center study. Urban teaching hospital in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. 430 patients were included. Inclusion criteria were: age ≥ 18 years, discharged from one of seven participating clinical departments and an unplanned readmission within 30 days. Residents from the participating departments individually assessed whether the readmission was caused by healthcare, the preventability and possible causes of readmissions using a tool. Thereafter, the preventability of the cases was discussed in a multidisciplinary meeting with residents of all participating departments and clinical pharmacists. The primary outcome was the proportion of readmissions that were potentially preventable. Secondary outcomes were the determinants for a readmission, causes for preventable readmissions, the change in the final decision on preventability after the multidisciplinary meeting and the value of patient interviews in assessing preventability. Differences in characteristics of potentially preventable readmissions (PPRs) and non-PPRs were analyzed using multivariable logistic regression. Of 430 readmissions, 56 (13%) were assessed as PPRs. Age was significantly associated with a PPR (adjusted OR: 2.42; 95%, CI 1.23-4.74; p = 0.01). The main causes for PPRs were diagnostic (30%), medication (27%) and management problems (27%). During the multidisciplinary meeting, the final decision on preventability changed in 11% of the cases. When a patient interview was available, it was used as a source of information to assess preventability in 26% of readmissions. In 7% of cases, the patient interview was mentioned as the most important source. 13% of readmissions were potentially preventable with diagnostic, medication or management problems being main causes. A multidisciplinary review approach and including the patient's perspective could contribute to a better understanding of the complexity of readmissions and possible improvements.
Highlights
Unplanned readmissions are a stressful and disappointing event for both patients and healthcare professionals
Age was significantly associated with a potentially preventable readmissions (PPRs)
The final decision on preventability changed in 11% of the cases
Summary
Unplanned readmissions are a stressful and disappointing event for both patients and healthcare professionals. Unplanned readmissions within a month after discharge can be used as a parameter of quality of care [1,2]. Researchers argue that not all readmissions are preventable and that the proportion of potentially preventable readmissions (PPRs) would be a better parameter of quality of care, rather than the total number of readmissions [6]. Poses some challenges since it lacks a clear definition and objective measuring tool. This causes confusion in methodology and comparability of study results, possibly explaining the wide variety in reported preventable readmissions [5,6,7,8,9,10]. In a review on hospital admissions considered avoidable, a preventability proportion between 5% and 79% was reported [7]
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