Christine Osborne
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There are two presenters for this presentation, Christine Osborne and Brian Tong. They are both fourth year medical students from Flinders University, presenting their Advanced Studies research as part of their medical degrees.
The Prevalence, Characteristics, And Risk Factors Of Frequently Readmitted Patients To An Internal Medicine Service In A Tertiary Teaching Hospital
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Aims: To determine the prevalence, characteristics, and potential risk factors associated with frequent readmissions to an internal medicine service at a tertiary public hospital.
Methods: A retrospective observational study using an administrative and clinical database at an internal medicine service in a tertiary teaching hospital between 1st July 2011 and 30th June 2016. Frequent readmission was defined to be four or more readmissions within 12 months after the index admission. Demographic and clinical characteristics, and potential risk factors were evaluated for an association with frequent readmission.
Results: Of the 50 514 patients included in the study, 1657 (3.4%) had frequent readmissions within 12 months after the index admission. In comparison to the infrequent readmission group, the demographic profile for the frequent readmission group included higher rates of Indigenous Australians (3.2%; infrequent group 1.5%), more disadvantaged status (Index of Relative Socio-Economic Disadvantage -IRSD- decile 5.3; infrequent group 5.7), and more comorbidities (Charlson comorbidity index -CCI- mean 1.4; infrequent group 0.8). The mean length of stay during the index admission was 6 days for the frequent readmission group (21.4% >7 days) and 4 days for infrequent readmission group. ICU admission incidence was 6.6% for the frequent readmission group compared to 3.9% for the infrequent readmission group.
Conclusions: Our study finds that 3.4% of medical patients had frequent readmissions within 12 months after hospital discharge. Common characteristics linked with frequent readmissions included having significantly more comorbidities, prolonged hospital stay during the index admission and ICU admissions. Aboriginal patients and patients coming from an area of lower socioeconomic status have higher rates of frequent readmission. This group of patients may be the target for intervention such as improving discharge planning and providing more service post discharge.
Methods: A retrospective observational study using an administrative and clinical database at an internal medicine service in a tertiary teaching hospital between 1st July 2011 and 30th June 2016. Frequent readmission was defined to be four or more readmissions within 12 months after the index admission. Demographic and clinical characteristics, and potential risk factors were evaluated for an association with frequent readmission.
Results: Of the 50 514 patients included in the study, 1657 (3.4%) had frequent readmissions within 12 months after the index admission. In comparison to the infrequent readmission group, the demographic profile for the frequent readmission group included higher rates of Indigenous Australians (3.2%; infrequent group 1.5%), more disadvantaged status (Index of Relative Socio-Economic Disadvantage -IRSD- decile 5.3; infrequent group 5.7), and more comorbidities (Charlson comorbidity index -CCI- mean 1.4; infrequent group 0.8). The mean length of stay during the index admission was 6 days for the frequent readmission group (21.4% >7 days) and 4 days for infrequent readmission group. ICU admission incidence was 6.6% for the frequent readmission group compared to 3.9% for the infrequent readmission group.
Conclusions: Our study finds that 3.4% of medical patients had frequent readmissions within 12 months after hospital discharge. Common characteristics linked with frequent readmissions included having significantly more comorbidities, prolonged hospital stay during the index admission and ICU admissions. Aboriginal patients and patients coming from an area of lower socioeconomic status have higher rates of frequent readmission. This group of patients may be the target for intervention such as improving discharge planning and providing more service post discharge.