Unplanned 30-day hospital readmission as a quality measure in gynecologic oncology

Lost in Translation: Impact of Language Barriers and Facilitators on the Health Care of Asian Americans Living with HIV

Language barriers are major obstacles that Asian American immigrants face when accessing health care in the USA. This study was conducted to explore the impact of language barriers and facilitators on the health care of Asian Americans. Qualitative, in-depth interviews and quantitative surveys were conducted with 69 Asian Americans (Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Malaysian, Indonesian, Vietnamese, and mixed Asian backgrounds) living with HIV (AALWH) in three urban areas (New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles) in 2013 and from 2017 to 2020. The quantitative data indicate that language ability is negatively associated with stigma. Major themes emerged related to communication, including the impact of language barriers on HIV care and the positive impact of language facilitators-family members/friends, case managers, or interpreters-who can communicate with healthcare providers in the AALWH's native language. Language barriers negatively impact access to HIV-related services and thus result in decreased adherence to antiretroviral therapy, increased unmet healthcare needs, and increased HIV-related stigma. Language facilitators enhanced the connection between AALWH and the healthcare system by facilitating their engagement with health care providers. Language barriers experienced by AALWH not only impact their healthcare decisions and treatment choices but also increase levels of external stigma which may influence the process of acculturation to the host country. Language facilitators and barriers to health services for AALWH represent a target for future interventions in this population.

Association between language discordance and unplanned hospital readmissions or emergency department revisits: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Studies conflict about whether language discordance increases rates of hospital readmissions or emergency department (ED) revisits for adult and paediatric patients. The literature was systematically reviewed to investigate the association between language discordance and hospital readmission and ED revisit rates.

DATA SOURCES

Searches were performed in PubMed, Embase and Google Scholar on 21 January 2021, and updated on 27 October 2022. No date or language limits were used.

STUDY SELECTION

Articles that (1) were peer-reviewed publications; (2) contained data about patient or parental language skills and (3) included either unplanned hospital readmission or ED revisit as one of the outcomes, were screened for inclusion. Articles were excluded if: unavailable in English; contained no primary data or inaccessible in a full-text form (eg, abstract only).

DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS

Two reviewers independently extracted data using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses-extension for scoping reviews guidelines. We used the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale to assess data quality. Data were pooled using DerSimonian and Laird random-effects models. We performed a meta-analysis of 18 adult studies for 28-day or 30-day hospital readmission; 7 adult studies of 30-day ED revisits and 5 paediatric studies of 72-hour or 7-day ED revisits. We also conducted a stratified analysis by whether access to interpretation services was verified/provided for the adult readmission analysis.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Odds of hospital readmissions within a 28-day or 30-day period and ED revisits within a 7-day period.

RESULTS

We generated 4830 citations from all data sources, of which 49 (12 paediatric; 36 adult; 1 with both adult and paediatric) were included. In our meta-analysis, language discordant adult patients had increased odds of hospital readmissions (OR 1.11, 95% CI 1.04 to 1.18). Among the 4 studies that verified interpretation services for language discordant patient-clinician interactions, there was no difference in readmission (OR 0.90, 95% CI 0.77 to 1.05), while studies that did not specify interpretation service access/use found higher odds of readmission (OR 1.14, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.22). Adult patients with a non-dominant language preference had higher odds of ED revisits (OR 1.07, 95% CI 1.004 to 1.152) compared with adults with a dominant language preference. In 5 paediatric studies, children of parents language discordant with providers had higher odds of ED revisits at 72 hours (OR 1.12, 95% CI 1.05 to 1.19) and 7 days (OR 1.02, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.03) compared with patients whose parents had language concordant communications.

DISCUSSION

Adult patients with a non-dominant language preference have more hospital readmissions and ED revisits, and children with parents who have a non-dominant language preference have more ED revisits. Providing interpretation services may mitigate the impact of language discordance and reduce hospital readmissions among adult patients.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER

CRD42022302871.

Medicolegal, infrastructural, and financial aspects in gynecologic cancer surgery and their implications in decision making processes: Quo Vadis?

Surgical decision making is complex and involves a combination of analytic, intuitive, and cognitive processes. Medicolegal, infrastructural, and financial factors may influence these processes depending on the context and setting, but to what extent can they influence surgical decision making in gynecologic oncology? This scoping review evaluates existing literature related to medicolegal, infrastructural, and financial aspects of gynecologic cancer surgery and their implications in surgical decision making. Our objective was to summarize the findings and limitations of published research, identify gaps in the literature, and make recommendations for future research to inform policy.

The burden of cervical cancer survivorship: Understanding morbidity and survivorship needs through hospital admissions

Objective

To describe disease- and treatment-related survivorship burden amongst survivors of cervical cancer and identify risk factors for hospital admissions after initial treatment.

Methods

Retrospective chart review including patients treated for cervical cancer from 2014 to 2020 at a single urban academic institution. Clinical, demographic, and hospital admission characteristics were summarized. Associations between patient characteristics and likelihood of admission were examined using univariate and multivariate regression.

Results

Of 366 patients undergoing surveillance following completion of primary treatment, 156 (43 %) were hospitalized for cancer or treatment-related sequela in the median follow-up of 3.6 years (IQR 1.4-6.4), with a median of 2 admissions (IQR 1-4.5) per patient and 570 unique admissions. While 65 (35 %) of admitted patients had multiple reasons for admission, the most common reasons for admission were: gastrointestinal complications (43 %), infection (38 %), genitourinary complications (33 %), and pain control (23 %). A substantial proportion of admitted patients underwent interventions including surgical procedures (57 %), transfusion of blood products (40 %), and interventional radiology procedures (28 %) and utilized supportive care services including case management (53 %), physical therapy (40 %), and occupational therapy (36 %). On multivariate analysis, odds of admission were higher among Black patients (aOR 2.4, p <.01), uninsured patients (aOR 2.7, p <.05), those with lower performance status (aOR 1.4, p <.05), and those with recurrence (aOR 5.5, p <.001).

Conclusion

Survivors of cervical cancer represent a high-risk population frequently hospitalized after initial treatment. Black patients, uninsured patients, those with recurrence, and those with lower performance status faced higher odds of admission. Comprehensive, team-based care is necessary to address complex survivorship needs.

Understanding Potentially Preventable 7-day Readmission Rates in Hospital Medicine Patients at a Comprehensive Cancer Center

This study aimed to describe the potentially preventable 7-day unplanned readmission (PPR) rate in medical oncology patients. A retrospective analysis of all unplanned 7-day readmissions within Hospital Medicine at MD Anderson Cancer Center from September 1, 2020 to February 28, 2021, was performed. Readmissions were independently analyzed by 2 randomly selected individuals to determine preventability. Discordant reviews were resolved by a third reviewer to reach a consensus. Statistical analysis included 138 unplanned readmissions. The estimated PPR rate was 15.94%. The median age was 62.50 years; 52.90% were female. The most common type of cancer was noncolon GI malignancy (34.06%). Most patients had stage 4 cancer (69.57%) and were discharged home (64.93%). Premature discharge followed by missed opportunities for goals of care discussions were the most cited reasons for potential preventability. These findings highlight areas where care delivery can be improved to mitigate the risk of readmission within the medical oncology population.

Unplanned 30-Day Readmission in Glioblastoma Patients: Implications for the Extent of Resection and Adjuvant Therapy

BACKGROUND

Unplanned early readmission (UER) within 30 days after hospital release is a negative prognostic marker for patients diagnosed with glioblastoma (GBM). This work analyzes the impact of UER on the effects of standard therapy modalities for GBM patients, including the extent of resection (EOR) and adjuvant therapy regimen.

METHODS

Records were searched for patients with newly diagnosed GBM between 2014 and 2020 who were treated at our facility. Exclusion criteria were being aged below 18 years or missing data. An overall survival (OS) analysis (Kaplan-Meier estimate; Cox regression) was performed on various GBM patient sub-cohorts.

RESULTS

A total of 276 patients were included in the study. UER occurred in 13.4% (n = 37) of all cases, significantly reduced median OS (5.7 vs. 14.5 months, p < 0.001 by logrank), and was associated with an increased hazard of mortality (hazard ratio 3.875, p < 0.001) in multivariate Cox regression when other clinical parameters were applied as confounders. The Kaplan-Meier analysis also showed that patients experiencing UER still benefitted from adjuvant radio-chemotherapy when compared to radiotherapy or no adjuvant therapy (p < 0.001 by logrank). A higher EOR did not improve OS in GBM patients with UER (p = 0.659).

CONCLUSION

UER is negatively associated with survival in GBM patients. In contrast to EOR, adjuvant radio-chemotherapy was beneficial, even after UER.

Association of Language Barriers With Perioperative and Surgical Outcomes: A Systematic Review

Importance

English language proficiency has been reported to correlate with disparities in health outcomes. Therefore, it is important to identify and describe the association of language barriers with perioperative care and surgical outcomes to inform efforts aimed at reducing health care disparities.

Objective

To examine whether limited English proficiency compared with English proficiency in adult patients is associated with differences in perioperative care and surgical outcomes.

Evidence Review

A systematic review was conducted in MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, Sociological Abstracts, and CINAHL of all English-language publications from database inception to December 7, 2022. Searches included Medical Subject Headings terms related to language barriers, perioperative or surgical care, and perioperative outcomes. Studies that investigated adults in perioperative settings and involved quantitative data comparing cohorts with limited English proficiency and English proficiency were included. The quality of studies was evaluated using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Because of heterogeneity in analysis and reported outcomes, data were not pooled for quantitative analysis. Results are reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis Protocols guideline.

Findings

Of 2230 unique records identified, 29 were eligible for inclusion (281 266 total patients; mean [SD] age, 57.2 [10.0] years; 121 772 [43.3%] male and 159 240 [56.6%] female). Included studies were observational cohort studies, except for a single cross-sectional study. Median cohort size was 1763 (IQR, 266-7402), with a median limited English proficiency cohort size of 179 (IQR, 51-671). Six studies explored access to surgery, 4 assessed delays in surgical care, 14 assessed surgical admission length of stay, 4 assessed discharge disposition, 10 assessed mortality, 5 assessed postoperative complications, 9 assessed unplanned readmissions, 2 assessed pain management, and 3 assessed functional outcomes. Surgical patients with limited English proficiency were more likely to experience reduced access in 4 of 6 studies, delays in obtaining care in 3 of 4 studies, longer surgical admission length of stay in 6 of 14 studies, and more likely discharge to a skilled facility than patients with English proficiency in 3 of 4 studies. Some additional differences in associations were found between patients with limited English proficiency who spoke Spanish vs other languages. Mortality, postoperative complications, and unplanned readmissions had fewer significant associations with English proficiency status.

Conclusions and Relevance

In this systematic review, most of the included studies found associations between English proficiency and multiple perioperative process-of-care outcomes, but fewer associations were seen between English proficiency and clinical outcomes. Because of limitations of the existing research, including study heterogeneity and residual confounding, mediators of the observed associations remain unclear. Standardized reporting and higher-quality studies are needed to understand the impact of language barriers on perioperative health disparities and identify opportunities to reduce related perioperative health care disparities.

Calculating surgical readmission rates in gynecologic oncology: The impact of patient factors

OBJECTIVE

To determine the 30-day surgical readmission rate after major gynecologic oncology surgeries at a high-volume academic institution and correlated risk factors.

METHODS

Retrospective cohort study was conducted of surgical admissions from January 2016 - December 2019 at a single institution. Data were extracted from patient charts, including reason for readmission and length of stay. A readmission rate was calculated. Nested case control design was used to identify correlations between readmission and patient specific risk-factors. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to determine risk factors with readmission.

RESULTS

A total of 2152 patients were included. The readmission rate was 3.5%, most commonly due to GI disturbance and surgical site infection. Average readmission length was 5 days. Prior to adjusting for covariates, insurance status, primary diagnosis, index admission length, and disposition at discharge differed between patients who were and were not readmitted. After adjusting for co-variates, younger patients, index admission >2 days, and higher Charlson co-morbidity index were associated with readmission.

CONCLUSIONS

Our surgical readmission rate was lower than previously reported rates in gynecologic oncology patients. Patient factors associated with readmission included younger age, longer index hospital admission, and higher medical co-morbidity index scores. Provider factors and institutional practice patterns could contribute to the decreased readmission rate. These findings underscore the importance of standardizing how we calculate readmission rate and interpret these data. Varying readmission rates and institutional practice patterns deserve closer scrutiny to inform best practice and future policies.

Investigating readmission rates for patients undergoing oncologic resection and endoprosthetic reconstruction for primary sarcomas and tumors involving bone

BACKGROUND

Little is known about the drivers of readmission in patients undergoing Orthopaedic oncologic resection. The goal of this study was to identify factors independently associated with 90-day readmission for patients undergoing oncologic resection and subsequent prosthetic reconstruction for primary tumors involving bone.

METHODS

This was a retrospective comparative cohort study of patients treated from 2008 to 2019 who underwent endoprosthetic reconstruction for a primary bone tumor or soft tissue tumor involving bone, as well as those who underwent a revision endoprosthetic reconstruction if the primary endoprosthetic reconstruction was performed for an oncologic resection. The primary outcome measure was unplanned 90-day readmission.

RESULTS

A total of 149 patients were identified who underwent 191 surgeries were for a primary bone or soft tissue tumor. The 90-day readmission rate was 28.3%. Female gender, depression, higher tumor grade, vascular reconstruction, longer procedure duration, longer length of stay (LOS), multiple surgeries during an admission and disposition to a Skilled Nursing Facility were associated with readmission (p < 0.05). In a multivariate analysis, female sex, higher tumor grade and longer procedure duration were independently associated with risk of readmission (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Readmission rates are high following endoprosthetic reconstruction for Orthopaedic oncologic resections. Further work is necessary to help minimize unplanned readmissions.

Why Do Patients Undergoing Extremity Prosthetic Reconstruction for Metastatic Disease Get Readmitted?

BACKGROUND

Orthopedic oncology patients are particularly susceptible to increased readmission rates and poor surgical outcomes, yet little is known about readmission rates. The goal of this study is to identify factors independently associated with 90-day readmission for patients undergoing oncologic resection and subsequent prosthetic reconstruction for metastatic disease of the hip and knee.

METHODS

This is a retrospective comparative cohort study of all patients treated from 2013 to 2019 at a single tertiary care referral institution who underwent endoprosthetic reconstruction by an orthopedic oncologist for metastatic disease of the extremities. The primary outcome measure was unplanned 90-day readmission.

RESULTS

We identified 112 patients undergoing 127 endoprosthetic reconstruction surgeries. Metastatic disease was most commonly from renal (26.8%), lung (23.6%), and breast (13.4%) cancer. The most common type of skeletal reconstruction performed was simple arthroplasty (54%). There were 43 readmissions overall (33.9%). When controlling for confounding factors, body mass index >40, insurance status, peripheral vascular disease, and longer hospital length of stay were independently associated with risk of readmission (P ≤ .05).

CONCLUSION

Readmission rates for endoprosthetic reconstructions for metastatic disease are high. Although predicting readmission remains challenging, risk stratification presents a viable option for helping minimize unplanned readmissions.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

III.

Clinical and nutritional predictors of hospital readmission within 30 days

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

Identify clinical, sociodemographic, and nutritional predictors of hospital readmission within 30 days.

SUBJECTS/METHODS

A longitudinal study was conducted with patients hospitalised at a public institution in Recife, Brazil. Sociodemographic (age, sex, race, and place of residence), clinical (diagnosis, comorbidities, medications, polypharmacy, hospital outcome, hospital stay, and occurrence of readmission within 30 days), and nutritional (% of weight loss, body mass index, arm circumference [AC], and calf circumference [CC]) characteristics were collected from the nutritional assessment files and patient charts. Nutritional risk was determined using the 2002 Nutritional Risk Screening tool and the diagnosis of malnutrition was based on the GLIM criteria.

RESULTS

The sample was composed of 252 patients, 58 (23.0%; CI_95%: 17.2-28.8%) of whom were readmitted within 30 days after discharge from hospital, 135 (53.5%; CI_95%: 46.7-60.5%) were at nutritional risk and 107 (42.4%; CI_95%: 35.6-49.3%) were malnourished. In the bivariate analysis, polypharmacy, nutritional risk, malnutrition, low AC, and low CC were associated with readmission. In the multivariate analysis, low CC was considered an independent risk factor, increasing the likelihood of hospital readmission nearly fourfold. In contrast, the absence of polypharmacy was a protective favour, reducing the likelihood of readmission by 81%.

CONCLUSIONS

The use of six medications or more and low calf circumference are risk factors for hospital readmission within 30 days after discharge.

Assessing the influence of patient language preference on 30 day hospital readmission risk from home health care: A retrospective analysis

BACKGROUND

In home health care, language barriers are understudied. Language barriers between patients and providers are known to affect a variety of patient outcomes. How a patient's language preference influences hospital readmission risk from home health care has yet to be determined.

OBJECTIVE

To determine if home care patients' language preference is associated with their risk for hospital readmission from home health care within 30 days of hospital discharge.

DESIGN

Retrospective cross-sectional study of hospital readmissions from an urban home health care agency's administrative records and the national electronic home health care record for the United States, captured between 2010 and 2015.

SETTING

New York City, New York, USA.

PARTICIPANTS

The dataset comprised 90,221 post-hospitalization patients and 6.5 million home health care visits.

METHODS

First, a Chi-square test was used to determine if there were significant differences in crude readmission rates based on language group. Inverse probability of treatment weighting was used to adjust for significant differences in known hospital readmission risk factors between to examine all-cause hospital readmission during a home health care stay. The final matched sample included 87,561 patients with a language preference of English, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, or Korean. English-speaking patients were considered the comparison group to the non-English speaking patients. A Marginal Structural Model was applied to estimate the impact of non-English language preference against English language preference on rehospitalization. The results of the marginal structural model were expressed as an odds ratio of likelihood of readmission to the hospital from home health care.

RESULTS

Home health patients with a non-English language preference had a higher hospital readmission risk than English-speaking patients. Crude readmission rate for the limited English proficiency patients was 20.4% (95% CI, 19.9-21.0%) overall compared to 18.5% (95% CI, 18.7-19.2%) for English speakers (p < 0.001). Being a non-English-speaking patient was associated with an odds ratio of 1.011 (95% CI, 1.004-1.018) in increased hospital readmission rates from home health care (p = 0.001). There were also statistically significant differences in readmission rate by language group (p < 0.001), with Korean speakers having the lowest rate and Spanish speakers having the highest, when compared to English speakers.

CONCLUSIONS

People with a non-English language preference have a higher readmission rate from home health care. Hospital and home healthcare agencies may need specialized care coordination services to reduce readmission risk for these patients. Tweetable abstract: A new US-based study finds that home care patients with language barriers are at higher risk for hospital readmission.

Stopping the revolving door: An exploratory analysis of health care super-utilization in gynecologic oncology

The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of and risk factors for health care super-utilization among gynecologic oncology patients at a single academic hospital. A retrospective cohort study of gynecologic oncology patients with an index unplanned encounter between January and December 2018 was performed. Super-utilizers were defined as patients with 3 or more unplanned hospital encounters during a 12-month period starting at the time of the index unplanned encounter. We identified 553 patients with gynecologic cancer. Of those, 37(7%) met inclusion criteria for super-utilizers accounting for 193/310(62%) of unplanned visits. The median number of unplanned visits was 4 (range 3-24). The most common cancers were uterine (N = 15 (41%)) and ovarian (N = 11 (30%)). Nineteen (51%) super-utilizers had advanced stage disease. Phases of oncologic care at index unplanned encounter included primary diagnosis (N = 24 (65%)), recurrence (N = 10 (27%)), and surveillance (N = 2 (5%)). Twelve super-utilizers (32%) had new diagnoses of cancer without prior therapy, 19(51%) had prior chemotherapy, 17(46%) had prior surgery, and 10(27%) had prior radiation therapy at the time of initial encounter. Fifteen super-utilizers (41%) were in the last year of life. The most common reasons for unplanned encounters were pain (66%) and gastrointestinal symptoms (61%). Multivariable analysis adjusting for key variables demonstrated that Medicaid insurance, ASA classification, and disease status are risk factors for health care super-utilization. The majority of health care utilization occurred during the first year of diagnosis. This exploratory analysis suggests an opportunity to decrease health care utilization, particularly during upfront treatment.

Identifying Modifiable and Non-modifiable Risk Factors of Readmission and Short-Term Mortality in Osteosarcoma: A National Cancer Database Study

BACKGROUND

There are limited data to inform risk of readmission and short-term mortality in musculoskeletal oncology. The goal of this study was to identify factors independently associated with 30-day readmission and 90-day mortality following surgical resection of osteosarcoma.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed patients (n = 5293) following surgical resection of primary osteosarcoma in the National Cancer Database (2004-2015). Univariate and multivariate methods were used to correlate variables with readmission and short-term mortality.

RESULTS

Of 210 readmissions (3.97%), risk factors independently associated with unplanned 30-day readmission included comorbidity burden (odds ratio [OR] 2.4, p = 0.042), Medicare insurance (OR 1.9, p = 0.021), and axial skeleton location (OR 1.5, p = 0.029). A total of 91 patients died within 90 days of their surgery (1.84%). Risk factors independently associated with mortality included age (hazard ratio 1.1, p < 0.001), increasing comorbidity burden (OR 6.6, p = 0.001), higher grade (OR 1.7, p = 0.007), increasing tumor size (OR 2.2, p = 0.03), metastatic disease at presentation (OR 8.5, p < 0.001), and amputation (OR 2.0, p = 0.04). Chemotherapy was associated with a decreased risk of short-term mortality (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Several trends were clear: insurance status, tumor location and comorbidity burden were independently associated with readmission rates, while age, amputation, grade, tumor size, metastatic disease, and comorbidity burden were independently associated with short-term mortality.

Risk factors for potentially avoidable readmissions following gynecologic oncology surgery

OBJECTIVE

Determine the incidence and identify factors associated with potentially avoidable hospital readmissions due to uncontrolled symptoms or minor complications after surgery for gynecologic cancers.

METHODS

Women who underwent major abdominal or pelvic surgery for a gynecologic malignancy between 2015 and 2017 were identified from the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program targeted hysterectomy dataset. Hospital readmissions within 30 days of surgery were categorized as indicated readmissions or potentially avoidable readmissions by three independent reviewers. Demographic, clinical, and operative covariates were evaluated to determine their association with type of readmission using bivariable tests and adjusted multinomial logistic regression models.

RESULTS

A total of 20,986 women were identified. 19,814 (94.4%) were not readmitted, 894 (4.3%) were indicated readmissions, and 278 (1.3%) were potentially avoidable readmissions. Among those readmitted, 24% were potentially avoidable readmissions. Presence of ascites, increasing length of stay, and discharge to facility were associated with an increased risk of indicated and potentially avoidable readmissions. Age < 60 years old (RR 1.4, 95%CI 1.1-1.8), BMI ≥ 30 (RR 1.7, 95%CI 1.3-2.3), history of abdominal/pelvic surgery (RR 1.6, 95%CI 1.2-2.1), cervical cancer (RR 2.1, 95%CI 1.4-3.1), and open surgery (RR 2.1, 95%CI 1.4-3.2) were associated with an increased risk of a potentially avoidable readmission but not with increased risk of an indicated readmission. Median time to readmission did not differ between the two readmission groups (indicated = 8 days; avoidable = 7 days; p = .72).

CONCLUSIONS

Among women with gynecologic cancer, 24% of all unplanned readmissions were attributed to uncontrolled symptoms or minor complications that were potentially avoidable. Age <60 years old, history of previous abdominal/pelvic surgery, obesity, cervical cancer, and open surgery were associated with an increase in risk of a potentially avoidable readmission.

30-Day unanticipated healthcare encounters after prolapse surgery: impact of same day discharge

BACKGROUND

Same-day discharge is becoming increasingly common in gynecologic surgery; however, data are limited for frequency, setting, and severity of unanticipated healthcare visits for women who are discharged on the day of surgery after major prolapse repair.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether discharge on the day of surgery is associated with increased 30-day unanticipated healthcare encounters after major pelvic organ prolapse surgery compared with discharge on or after postoperative day 1.

STUDY DESIGN

This is a retrospective analysis of women who underwent pelvic organ prolapse surgery by 8 female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery surgeons from January 2016 to October 2017. Unanticipated healthcare encounter was a composite variable of any visit to the office, emergency department, or hospital readmission. Number of visits, visit diagnoses, and complication severity (Clavien-Dindo classification) were compared by day of discharge with the use of χ2 tests. Multivariable analyses were performed.

RESULTS

Of 405 women, 258 (63.7%) were discharged on the day of surgery, and 147 (36.3%) were discharged on postoperative day 1 or later. Mean age was 66±11 years, body mass index was 27.9±4.8 kg/m². Most had stage III prolapse (n=273; 67.4%). Procedures included laparoscopic or robotic sacrocolpopexy, (n=163; 40.2%), vaginal apical suspensions (n=115; 28.4%), obliterative (n=105; 25.9%), and concomitant hysterectomy (n=229; 56.5%). There was no increase in the number of women with at least 1 unanticipated healthcare encounter within 30 days of surgery, based on discharge on the day of surgery compared with postoperative day 1 (24.0% vs 26.5%; P=.572). The majority of visits occurred in the office (17.8% vs 19.0%; P=.760). There was no increase in 30-day readmissions (3.5% vs 4.8%; P=.527). The most common visit diagnosis was pain and accounted for 31.5% of all visits, followed by urologic and gastrointestinal symptoms. Diagnoses and complication severity did not vary by day of discharge, except that women who were discharged on the day of surgery were more likely to have a superficial wound separation (11.3% vs 0%; P=.011) and less likely to experience grade II complications (7.4% vs 15.6%, P=.009). Few women had >1 unscheduled visit, and rates were similar between the 2 groups (6.2% vs 6.8%; P=.810). On multivariable regression, younger women (adjusted odds ratio, 1.03; 95% confidence interval, 1.001-1.05), those with lower body mass index (adjusted odds ratio, 1.07; 95% confidence interval, 1.13-1.01), and higher initial postanesthesia recovery unit pain scores (adjusted odds ratio, 1.11; 95% confidence interval, 1.02-1.21) were more likely to have an unanticipated healthcare encounter. Pain complaints were evaluated most often in the office compared with the emergency department (41.1% vs 13.0%); medical complications such as cardiac (15.6% vs 0%) and respiratory (6.5% vs 0%) were more likely to be evaluated in the emergency department. Higher grade complications (II/III) were more likely to visit the emergence department (78.2% vs 27.1%; P<.0001).

CONCLUSION

Same-day discharge after prolapse surgery did not result in an increase in 30-day unanticipated healthcare encounters.

Moving From Knowledge to Action: Improving Safety and Quality of Care for Patients With Limited English Proficiency

Objective. This study assessed safety culture and staff communication with patients with limited English proficiency (LEP) to identify system-level approaches to increasing interpreter use and reducing health care disparities. Methods. An electronic survey and 7 focus groups were conducted with health care professionals in pediatrics and obstetrics/gynecology. Survey data were examined with univariate descriptive analysis. Focus group transcripts were coded through an iterative consensus process. Results. Survey participants (n = 68) reported less confidence in their ability to communicate effectively (74%) and form therapeutic relationships (56%) with LEP patients versus English-proficient patients. Focus groups identified knowledge as a facilitator of interpreter use. Workflow constraints, supply-demand mismatch, variable interpretation quality, and gaps in communication with interpretation services management were barriers. Conclusion. Knowledge gaps may not be a primary cause of interpreter underuse. Strategies to address workflow barriers and engage with interpretation services are critical to move from knowledge to action to improve LEP patient care.

Characterising 'bounce-back' readmissions after radical cystectomy

OBJECTIVE

To examine predictors of early readmissions after radical cystectomy (RC). Factors associated with preventable readmissions may be most evident in readmissions that occur within 3 days of discharge, commonly termed 'bounce-back' readmissions, and identifying such factors may inform efforts to reduce surgical readmissions.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We utilised the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project's State Inpatient Databases to examine 1867 patients undergoing RC in 2009 and 2010, and identified all patients readmitted within 30 days of discharge. We assessed differences between patients experiencing bounce-back readmission compared to those readmitted 8-30 days after discharge using logistic regression models and also calculated abbreviated LACE scores to assess the utility of common readmissions risk stratification algorithms.

RESULTS

The 30-day and bounce-back readmission rates were 28.4% and 5.6%, respectively. Although no patient or index hospitalisation characteristics were significantly associated with bounce-back readmissions in adjusted analyses, bounce-back patients did have higher rates of gastrointestinal (14.3% vs 6.7%, P = 0.02) and wound (9.5% vs 3.0%, P < 0.01) diagnoses, as well as increased index and readmission length of stay (5 vs 4 days, P = 0.01). Overall, the median abbreviated LACE score was 7, which fell into the moderate readmission risk category, and no difference was observed between readmitted and non-readmitted patients.

CONCLUSION

One in five readmissions after RC occurs within 3 days of initial discharge, probably due to factors present at discharge. However, sociodemographic and clinical factors, as well as traditional readmission risk tools were not predictive of this bounce-back. Effective strategies to reduce bounce-back readmission must identify actionable clinical factors prior to discharge.

Association of pre-operative medication use with unplanned 30-day hospital readmission after surgery in oncology patients receiving comprehensive geriatric assessment

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to determine whether pre-operative medication use is associated with unplanned 30-day readmission in elderly people undergoing cancer surgery.

METHODS

Patients aged 65 years or older who were scheduled for cancer surgery and presented for comprehensive geriatric assessment were included. Comparisons of variables between patients with readmission and those without readmission were performed by univariate and multivariate analyses.

RESULTS

A total of 473 patients were included. Multivariate analysis showed that pre-operative discontinuation-requiring medications (PDRMs) and gastrointestinal/hepato-pancreato-biliary (GI/HPB) cancer were significant factors for 30-day readmission. PDRM increased the risk of readmission by about 2.2-fold. Attributable risk of PDRM to readmission was around 55%. The adjusted odds ratio and attributable risk for GI/HPB surgery was 3.4 (95% CI 1.0-11.5) and 70.8%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Medication use has an impact on unplanned 30-day readmission in geriatric oncology patients, further highlighting the importance of medication optimization for elderly patients with cancer surgery.

The impact of radiation treatment planning technique on unplanned hospital admissions

Purpose

Treatment burdens and toxicities related to palliative radiation therapy (RT) may lead to unplanned hospital admissions (UHAs). The likelihood for these toxicities may be related to treatment technique. We compared rates of UHA between patients receiving nonconformal (2-dimensional) and conformal (3-dimensional or higher) radiation treatments to bone metastases involving the vertebral column.

Methods and materials

We retrospectively analyzed patients treated with RT for bone metastases at a single tertiary care center between 2010 and 2017. We compared rates of RT-related UHA within 90 days of receiving radiation using Cox competing risk regression models.

Results

We identified 326 patients with bone metastases involving the vertebral column, 139 of whom received radiation by nonconformal technique and 187 by conformal technique. On multivariable analysis, conformal techniques were associated with a reduced risk of 90-day UHA (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.35; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.14-0.88). Other significant factors include hematologic cancer (HR: 0.17; 95% CI, 0.03-0.82) and baseline Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group score ≥2 (HR: 3.02; 95% CI, 1.05-8.69).

Conclusions

The utilization of conformal (non-2-dimensional) radiation treatment plans may help reduce treatment-related toxicities and consequently UHAs after palliation of bone metastases.

Impact of high- versus low-dose neuromuscular blocking agent administration on unplanned 30-day readmission rates in retroperitoneal laparoscopic surgery

Recent data shows that a neuromuscular block (NMB) induced by administration of high doses of rocuronium improves surgical conditions in certain procedures. However, there are limited data on the effect such practices on postoperative outcomes. We performed a retrospective analysis to compare unplanned 30-day readmissions in patients that received high-dose versus low-dose rocuronium administration during general anesthesia for laparoscopic retroperitoneal surgery. This retrospective cohort study was performed in the Netherlands in an academic hospital where routine high-dose rocuronium NMB has been practiced since July 2015. Charts of patients receiving anesthesia between January 2014 and December 2016 were searched for surgical cases receiving high-dose rocuronium and matched with respect to procedure, age, sex and ASA classification to patients receiving low-dose rocuronium. The primary post-operative outcome was unplanned 30-day readmission rate. There were 130 patients in each cohort. Patients in the high- and low-dose rocuronium cohorts received 217 ± 49 versus 37 ± 5 mg rocuronium, respectively. In the high-dose rocuronium group neuromuscular activity was consistently monitored; matched patients were unreliably monitored. All patients receiving high-dose rocuronium were reversed with sugammadex, while just 33% of matched patients were reversed with sugammadex and 20% with neostigmine; the remaining patients were not reversed. Unplanned 30-day readmission rate was significantly lower in the high-dose compared to the low-dose rocuronium cohort (3.8% vs. 12.7%; p = 0.03; odds ratio = 0.33, 95% C.I. 0.12–0.95). This small retrospective study demonstrates a lower incidence of unplanned readmissions within 30-days following laparoscopic retroperitoneal surgery with high-dose relaxant anesthesia and sugammadex reversal in comparison to low-dose relaxant anesthesia. Further prospective studies are needed in larger samples to corroborate our findings and additionally assess the pharmacoeconomics of high-dose relaxant anesthesia taking into account the benefits (reduced readmissions) and harm (cost of relaxants and reversal agents) of such practice.

Decreasing Hospital Readmission in Ileostomy Patients: Results of Novel Pilot Program

BACKGROUND

Nearly 30% of patients with newly formed ileostomies require hospital readmission from severe dehydration or associated complications. This contributes to significant morbidity and rising healthcare costs associated with this procedure. Our aim was to design and pilot a novel program to decrease readmissions in this patient population.

STUDY DESIGN

An agreement was established with Visiting Nurse Health System (VNHS) in March 2015 that incorporated regular home visits with clinical triggers to institute surgeon-supervised corrective measures aimed at preventing patient decompensation associated with hospital readmissions. Thirty-day readmission data for patients managed with and without VNHS support for 10.5 months before and after implementation of this new program were collected.

RESULTS

Of 833 patients with small bowel procedures, 162 were ileostomies with 47 in the VNHS and 115 in the non-VNHS group. Before program implementation, VNHS (n = 24) and non-VNHS patients (n = 54) had similar readmission rates (20.8% vs 16.7%). After implementation, VNHS patients (n = 23) had a 58% reduction in hospital readmission (8.7%) and non-VNHS patient hospital readmissions (n = 61) increased slightly (24.5%). Total cost of readmissions per patient in the cohort decreased by >80% in the pilot VNHS group.

CONCLUSIONS

Implementation of a novel program reduced the 30-day readmission rate by 58% and cost of readmissions per patient by >80% in a high risk for readmission patient population with newly created ileostomies. Future efforts will expand this program to a greater number of patients, both institutionally and systemically, to reduce the readmission-rate and healthcare costs for this high-risk patient population.