The Risk Assessment and Prediction Tool Is Less Accurate in Extended Length of Stay Patients Following Total Joint Arthroplasty

Abstract

BackgroundAlthough preoperative risk assessment tools have been effective in predicting discharge disposition after total joint arthroplasty (TJA), studies reporting on discharge planning in extended length of stay (ELOS), >3 days, patients are lacking. The purpose of this study was to describe the predictive utility of the Risk Assessment and Prediction Tool (RAPT) for discharge disposition in ELOS patients. MethodsOur study included 260 patients with LOS >3 days who underwent primary TJA between 2014 and 2016. Patients were separated into 3 cohorts, based on their RAPT score: low risk (9-12), medium risk (6-9), and high risk for discharge to a facility (1-6). Scores were compared among cohorts and correlated with discharge disposition for patients who stayed beyond 3 days. ResultsIn ELOS, RAPT had a higher utility in predicting discharge disposition in the low-risk (76.5% to home) and high-risk (62.9% to facility) patient cohorts, while medium-risk patients (56.5% to home) were the least accurate. Responses that significantly correlated with discharge home included male gender (odds ratio [OR], 1.81; P < .05), ambulation without walking aids (OR, 2.94; P < .01) or a single-point cane (OR, 2.95; P < .0001), <1 community support visit per week preoperatively (OR, 1.86; P < .05), and having support from someone at home (OR, 3.43; P < .0001). ConclusionThe RAPT score in ELOS patients is better correlated with the low-risk and high-risk cohorts than in medium-risk patients. Conversely, medium-risk ELOS patients constituted 56.8% of our sample size, but only predicted 56.5% of discharge dispositions correctly. Future discharge disposition risk assessment tools are needed to stratify medium-risk patients.