Readmission of older acutely admitted medical patients after short-term admissions in Denmark: a nationwide cohort study

Acute patients discharged without an established diagnosis: risk of mortality and readmission of nonspecific diagnoses compared to disease-specific diagnoses

BACKGROUND

Nonspecific discharge diagnoses after acute hospital courses represent patients discharged without an established cause of their complaints. These patients should have a low risk of adverse outcomes as serious conditions should have been ruled out. We aimed to investigate the mortality and readmissions following nonspecific discharge diagnoses compared to disease-specific diagnoses and assessed different nonspecific subgroups.

METHODS

Register-based cohort study including hospital courses beginning in emergency departments across 3 regions of Denmark during March 2019-February 2020. We identified nonspecific diagnoses from the R- and Z03-chapter in the ICD-10 classification and excluded injuries, among others-remaining diagnoses were considered disease-specific. Outcomes were 30-day mortality and readmission, the groups were compared by Cox regression hazard ratios (HR), unadjusted and adjusted for socioeconomics, comorbidity, administrative information and laboratory results. We stratified into short (3-<12 h) or lengthier (12-168 h) hospital courses.

RESULTS

We included 192,185 hospital courses where nonspecific discharge diagnoses accounted for 50.7% of short and 25.9% of lengthier discharges. The cumulative risk of mortality for nonspecific vs. disease-specific discharge diagnoses was 0.6% (0.6-0.7%) vs. 0.8% (0.7-0.9%) after short and 1.6% (1.5-1.7%) vs. 2.6% (2.5-2.7%) after lengthier courses with adjusted HRs of 0.97 (0.83-1.13) and 0.94 (0.85-1.05), respectively. The cumulative risk of readmission for nonspecific vs. disease-specific discharge diagnoses was 7.3% (7.1-7.5%) vs. 8.4% (8.2-8.6%) after short and 11.1% (10.8-11.5%) vs. 13.7% (13.4-13.9%) after lengthier courses with adjusted HRs of 0.94 (0.90-0.98) and 0.95 (0.91-0.99), respectively. We identified 50 clinical subgroups of nonspecific diagnoses, of which Abdominal pain (n = 12,462; 17.1%) and Chest pain (n = 9,599; 13.1%) were the most frequent. The subgroups described differences in characteristics with mean age 41.9 to 80.8 years and mean length of stay 7.1 to 59.5 h, and outcomes with < 0.2-8.1% risk of 30-day mortality and 3.5-22.6% risk of 30-day readmission.

CONCLUSIONS

In unadjusted analyses, nonspecific diagnoses had a lower risk of mortality and readmission than disease-specific diagnoses but had a similar risk after adjustments. We identified 509 clinical subgroups of nonspecific diagnoses with vastly different characteristics and prognosis.

Personalized, interdisciplinary patient pathway for cross-sector care of multimorbid patients (eliPfad trial): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Multimorbid and frail elderly patients often carry a high burden of treatment. Hospitalization due to the onset of an acute illness can disrupt the fragile balance, resulting in further readmissions after hospital discharge. Current models of care in Germany do not meet the needs of this patient group. Rather lack of coordination and integration of care combined with a lack of interdisciplinary approaches result in fragmented and inadequate care and increase the burden of treatment even more.

METHODS

eliPfad is a randomized controlled trial conducted in 6 hospitals in Germany. Multimorbid elderly patients aged 55 or older are randomly assigned to the intervention or control group. Patients in the intervention group receive the eliPfad intervention additional to standard care. The core components of eliPfad are: Early assessment of patients' individual treatment burden and support through a specially trained case manager Involvement of the patient's general practitioner (GP) right from the beginning of the hospital stay Preparation of an individual, cross-sectoral treatment plan through the interdisciplinary hospital team with the involvement of the patient's GP Establishment of a cross-sectoral electronic patient record (e-ePA) for documentation and cross-sectoral exchange Support/Promote patient adherence Tailored early rehabilitation during the hospital stay, which is continued at home Close-tele-monitoring of medically meaningful vital parameters through the use of tablets, digital devices, and personal contacts in the home environment The intervention period begins in the hospital and continues 6 weeks after discharge. Patients in the control group will be treated according to standard clinical care and discharged according to current discharge management. The primary aim is the prevention/reduction of readmissions in the first 6 months after discharge. In addition, the impact on health-related quality of life, the burden of treatment, survival, self-management, medication prescription, health literacy, patient-centered care, cost-effectiveness, and process evaluation will be examined. Nine hundred forty-eight patients will be randomized 1:1 to intervention and control group.

DISCUSSION

If eliPfad leads to fewer readmissions, proves (cost-)effective, and lowers the treatment burden, it should be introduced as a new standard of care in the German healthcare system.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

The trial was registered in the German Clinical Trials Registry (Deutsches Register Klinischer Studien (DRKS)) on 08/14/2023 under the ID DRKS00031500 .

Patients with repeated acute admissions to somatic departments: sociodemographic characteristics, disease burden, and contact with primary healthcare sector - a retrospective register-based case-control study

BACKGROUND

Healthcare systems face escalating capacity challenges and patients with repeated acute admissions strain hospital resources disproportionately. However, studies investigating the characteristics of such patients across all public healthcare providers in a universal healthcare system are lacking.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate characteristics of patients with repeated acute admissions (three or more acute admissions within a calendar year) in regard to sociodemographic characteristics, disease burden, and contact with the primary healthcare sector.

METHODS

This matched register-based case-control study investigated repeated acute admissions from 1 January 2014 to 31 December 2018, among individuals, who resided in four Danish municipalities. The study included 6169 individuals with repeated acute admissions, matched 1:4 to individuals with no acute admissions and one to two acute admissions, respectively. Group comparisons were conducted using conditional logistic regression.

RESULTS

Receiving social benefits increased the odds of repeated acute admissions 9.5-fold compared with no acute admissions (odds ratio (OR) 9.5; 95% confidence interval (CI) 8.5; 10.6) and 3.4-fold compared with one to two acute admissions (OR 3.4; 95% CI 3.1; 3.7). The odds of repeated acute admissions increased with the number of used medications and chronic diseases. Having a mental illness increased the odds of repeated acute admissions 5.8-fold when compared with no acute admissions (OR 5.7; 95% CI 5.2; 6.4) and 2.3-fold compared with one to two acute admissions (OR 2.3; 95% CI 2.1; 2.5). Also, high use of primary sector services (e.g. nursing care) increased the odds of repeated acute admissions when compared with no acute admissions and one to two acute admissions.

CONCLUSIONS

This study pinpointed key factors encompassing social status, disease burden, and healthcare utilisation as pivotal markers of risk for repeated acute admissions, thus identifying high-risk patients and facilitating targeted intervention.

Low-intake dehydration and nutrition impact symptoms in older medical patients - A retrospective study

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Malnutrition and low-intake dehydration both increase complications and mortality in hospitalized older medical patients. Nutrition Impact Symptoms (NIS) are barriers for obtaining an adequate nutritional intake and possibly adequate fluid. Therefore, we aimed to assess the prevalence of low-intake dehydration and specific NIS, and the relation between low-intake dehydration and specific NIS.

METHODS

A retrospective cohort study among older patients (≥65 years) from the Medical Department at Herlev-Gentofte Hospital and referred to a clinical dietitian. Data about sex, age, BMI, prevalence of nutritional risk (NRS-2002), low-intake dehydration (calculated osmolarity >295 mmol/L), and NIS (the EATEN-questionnaire, comprising 16 NIS-questions and whether these were respectively present and limiting nutritional intake) were collected from the hospital records.

RESULTS

We included 99 patients (61% women), mean age 81 years (±7.9), median BMI 21.8 kg/m2 (IQR:19.5-25.4). Nutritional risk was found in 74%, and low-intake dehydration in 40% of the included patients. The three most frequent NIS-present were: Early satiety (84%), no appetite (82%), and tiredness (72%). The three most frequent NIS-limiting intake were: No appetite (73%), early satiety (69%), and dry mouth (42%). We found low-intake dehydration to be related to a lower prevalence of the following NIS-present; dry mouth (58% vs.80%, p = 0.0210), and breathlessness (24% vs.49%, p = 0.0179). Among the NIS-limiting intake a lower prevalence of other pains was related to low-intake dehydration (7% vs.29%, p = 0.0233).

CONCLUSION

NIS and low-intake dehydration are highly prevalent in older patients. There is limited association between low-intake dehydration and specific NIS.

The association between malnutrition and dehydration in older adults admitted to a geriatric unit: An observational study

BACKGROUND AND AIM

There is an overlap between the risk factors causing low intake of water and low intake of nutrients, respectively. This study aims to explore the agreement between the assessment of malnutrition and the outcome of low-intake dehydration in a population of older hospitalized patients.

METHODS

Patients ≥65 years old and hospitalized at the geriatric hospital ward were screened for eligibility within 96 h of admission. Dehydration was assessed with the calculated serum osmolarity ≥295 mmol/L (1.86 × (Na+ + K+) + 1.15 × glucose + urea + 14), and (risk of) malnutrition was assessed with NRS-2002 ≥ 3 points, MNA-SF ≤ 7 points, MNA-LF < 17, MUST ≥ 2 points, and GLIM after screening with NRS-2002 and MNA-LF. Follow-up data regarding exercise rehabilitation, readmissions, and mortality was collected 30 days after discharge. Statistics used were the Chi-squared test, Fishers-exact test, and Wilcoxon signed rank test.

RESULTS

A total of 114 patients (57% females) were included. Median age 85.5 (IQR 80; 89.25) years. A total of 49 (43%) were dehydrated. Fewer females were dehydrated (F: 42.9% vs. M: 67.7%, p = 0.013). The patients with osmolarity ≥295 mmol/L had a higher median weight (68.3 (IQR 58.5; 78.4) vs. 62 (IQR 51.8; 72.1), p = 0.021) and mid-up-arm circumference (27 (IQR 26; 30) vs. 25.5 (IQR 22.9; 28.3), p = 0.004). No significant difference was found in the prevalence of malnutrition between those with or without dehydration (NRS-2002; 70% vs. 81%, p = 0.174; MNA-SF: 23.1 vs. 23.2%, p = 1.0; MNA-LF: 37.1 vs. 30.2%, p = 0.644; MUST: 24.5 vs. 33.8%, p = 0.308; GLIM after screening with NRS-2002: 84.4 vs. 74.5%, p = 0.405, GLIM after screening with MNA-LF: 74.1 vs. 75.6%, p = 0.438). Kappa values varied around 0 and reflected low agreement. There were no differences in the follow-up data, between those who were normohydrated and those who were dehydrated.

CONCLUSION

We found low agreement between the assessment of malnutrition and low-intake dehydration in a population of older hospitalized patients. All geriatric patients should therefore be assessed for both conditions.

Readmission is experienced as inevitable among older adults receiving homecare: A qualitative interview study

BACKGROUND

Older adults receiving homecare have an increased risk of readmission. The transition from hospital to home can be experienced as unsafe, and older adults describe themselves as vulnerable during the post-discharge period. Thus, the objective was to explore the experiences of unplanned readmissions among older adults who receive homecare.

METHODS

We conducted qualitative individual semi-structured interviews with older adults, 65 years or above, receiving homecare and being readmitted to an emergency department (ED) between August and October 2020. Data were analysed by systematic text condensation as described by Malterud.

FINDINGS

We included 12 adults aged 67-95 years, seven were male, and eight lived alone. The analysis derived three themes: (1) Responsibility and security at home, (2) the role of family, friends and homecare and (3) the importance of trust. The older adults felt that the hospital strived for too-early discharge, as they still did not feel well. They worried about how to manage their daily life. Active involvement of their family increased their sense of security, but those living alone described feeling anxious being at home by themselves after discharge. Although older adults did not wish to go to the hospital, inadequate treatment at home and the feeling of responsibility for their illness made them feel insecure. They expressed that earlier negative experiences affected their trust in the system and their inclination to ask for help.

CONCLUSIONS

The older adults were discharged from the hospital despite feeling ill. They described inadequate competencies from healthcare professionals in the home as a contributing factor to their readmission. The readmission increased a sense of security. Support from the family in the process was essential and provided a sense of security, whereas older adults living alone experienced feelings of insecurity in the home environment.

Deviating vital signs in continuous monitoring prior to discharge and risk of readmission: an observational study

Premature discharge may result in readmission while longer hospitalization may increase risk of complications such as immobilization and reduce hospital capacity. Continuous monitoring detects more deviating vital signs than intermittent measurements and may help identify patients at risk of deterioration after discharge. We aimed to investigate the association between deviating vital signs detected by continuous monitoring prior to discharge and risk of readmission within 30 days. Patients undergoing elective major abdominal surgery or admitted with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were included in this study. Eligible patients had vital signs monitored continuously within the last 24 h prior to discharge. The association between sustained deviated vital signs and readmission risk was analyzed by using Mann-Whitney's U test and Chi-square test. A total of 51 out of 265 patients (19%) were readmitted within 30 days. Deviated respiratory vital signs occurred frequently in both groups: desaturation < 88% for at least ten minutes was seen in 66% of patients who were readmitted and in 62% of those who were not (p = 0.62) while desaturation < 85% for at least five minutes was seen in 58% of readmitted and 52% of non-readmitted patients (p = 0.5). At least one sustained deviated vital sign was detected in 90% and 85% of readmitted patients and non-readmitted patients, respectively (p = 0.2). Deviating vital signs prior to hospital discharge were frequent but not associated with increased risk of readmission within 30 days. Further exploration of deviating vital signs using continuous monitoring is needed.

Predicting Short-Term Mortality in Older Patients Discharged from Acute Hospitalizations Lasting Less Than 24 Hours

Purpose

Over coming decades, a rise in the number of short, acute hospitalizations of older people is to be expected. To help physicians identify high-risk patients prior to discharge, we aimed to develop a model capable of predicting the risk of 30-day mortality for older patients discharged from short, acute hospitalizations and to examine how model performance changed with an increasing amount of information.

Methods

This registry-based study included acute hospitalizations in Denmark for 2016-2018 lasting ≤24 hours where patients were permanent residents, ≥65 years old, and discharged alive. Utilizing many different predictor variables, we developed random forest models with an increasing amount of information, compared their performance, and examined important variables.

Results

We included 107,132 patients with a median age of 75 years. Of these, 3.3% (n=3575) died within 30 days of discharge. Model performance improved especially with the addition of laboratory results and information on prior acute admissions (AUROC 0.835), and again with comorbidities and number of prescription drugs (AUROC 0.860). Model performance did not improve with the addition of sociodemographic variables (AUROC 0.861), apart from age and sex. Important variables included age, dementia, number of prescription drugs, C-reactive protein, and eGFR.

Conclusion

The best model accurately estimated the risk of short-term mortality for older patients following short, acute hospitalizations. Trained on a large and heterogeneous dataset, the model is applicable to most acute clinical settings and could be a useful tool for physicians prior to discharge.

Exploring medication-related hospital admissions and their association with cognitive impairment among acutely admitted older people

INTRODUCTION

Medication-related hospital admissions (MRAs) are common among older people. Persons with cognitive impairment are especially vulnerable to adverse drug effects. At the same time, increased home health care and social support could theoretically prevent medication-related problems. This study aims to estimate the proportion of MRAs and explore their relationship with cognitive impairment in a population of acutely admitted older people.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study comprised 300 individuals aged 75 years or older admitted to an acute medical ward. Two assessors identified possibly MRAs using the Assessment Tool for Hospital Admissions Related to Medications 10 (AT-HARM10). Screening for cognitive impairment was performed during ward stay using a 4-item test related to time orientation. Prevalence odds ratios between cognitive test scores and MRAs were analysed through logistic regression.

RESULTS

Using AT-HARM10, 108 out of 300 admissions (36%) were classified as possibly MRAs by both assessors. Moreover, MRAs were least common among patients with the lowest cognitive test scores. There was an association regarding MRAs when the lowest test score was treated as a cut-off and compared against a reference category comprising all other scores (OR, 0.31 [95% CI 0.10-0.93]; p = 0.037) in a logistic regression model adjusted for cohabitation and home health care.

CONCLUSION

Approximately one-third of the hospital admissions among acutely admitted older people were considered at least possibly medication-related. Hence, there is still a great need to manage medication-related problems and reduce MRAs in this vulnerable population. Using a 4-item instrument to screen for cognitive impairment, there was a negative association between MRA and lowest cognitive test score. Further exploration of the relationship between MRAs and cognitive impairment may indicate appropriate components and target populations for interventions that aims to reduce the risk of MRA.

Intravenous errc carboxymaltos vesus oral ferrous sulfate replament in elderly patients after acute non-variceal gastrointestinal bleeding (): protocol of a multicentre, open-label, randomised controlled trial

INTRODUCTION

Acute gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB) is a life-threatening emergency with a critical economic burden. As a result of bleeding, anaemia often requires intravenous or oral iron supplementation. Elderly patients are even more prone to untoward outcomes after hospital discharge if iron supplementation is inefficient. There is a gap in current guidelines on which supplementation route clinicians should choose. We aim to investigate the effect of one dose of intravenous iron therapy versus 3-month oral iron administration on anaemia in an elderly population.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

The FIERCE study is an open-label, randomised controlled, two-armed trial. At least 48 hours after the acute non-variceal GIB treatment, patients will be recruited in participating centres. A random sequence generator will allocate the participants to group A (intravenous ferric carboxymaltose, 1000 mg) or group B (oral ferrous sulfate (FS), ca. 200 mg every day) with an allocation ratio of 1:1 on the day of the planned discharge from the hospital. Randomisation will be stratified for participating centres and the need for transfusion within the same hospitalisation before recruitment to the trial. Quality of life assessment, functional measurement and laboratory tests will be performed at baseline, 1 and 3 months±7 days after enrolment to the trial. The primary endpoint is a composite endpoint, including all-cause mortality, anaemia-associated unplanned emergency visit and anaemia-associated unplanned hospital admission within 3 months of enrolment in the trial.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

The study has been approved by the relevant organisation, the Scientific and Research Ethics Committee of the Hungarian Medical Research Council (46395-5/2021/EÜIG). We will disseminate our results to the medical community and will publish our results in peer-reviewed journals.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

The trial has been registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05060731).

The effectiveness of tele-transitions of care interventions in high-risk older adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Chronically ill older patients are often vulnerable to detrimental health outcomes and have increased risk of preventable readmission. Tele-transitions of care interventions utilizing telecommunications and surveillance technologies help monitor patients' conditions after discharge to prevent negative health outcomes.

OBJECTIVES

This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to identify and synthesize available evidence on the effectiveness of tele-transitions of care interventions on various health outcomes in older adults at high risk for readmission discharged from acute setting.

METHODS

Published, unpublished studies and gray literatures were identified through searching PubMed, Medline, Embase, PsycINFO, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, Scopus, ProQuest Dissertations and theses and Google Scholar from inception to December 2021. Only randomized controlled trials published in English language assessing tele-transitions of care interventions on high-risk older adults were included. Meta-analyses were performed using random-effects model in RevMan 5.4. Sensitivity and subgroup and narrative analyses were conducted.

RESULTS

Fourteen studies were included, of which thirteen were considered for meta-analyses. Tele-transitions of care interventions were effective in reducing readmission rate (RR = 0.59, 95%CI 0.50-0.69, z = 6.28, p < 0.00001), mortality rate (RR = 0.72, 95%CI 0.53-0.98, z = 2.12, p = 0.03), and improving health-related quality of life (SMD = 0.24, Z = 2.04, p = 0.04). However, reduction of emergency department visit (RR = 1.10, 95%CI 0.59-2.06, z = 0.31, p = 0.76) and improvement of functional status (SMD = -0.06, Z = 0.19, p = 0.85) was not observed following intervention. Subgroup analysis found that the positive effects of tele-transitions of care interventions persist up to 180 days even after the intervention.

CONCLUSION

This systematic review and meta-analysis concluded that tele-transitions of care interventions have promising effects on readmission, mortality rate and health-related quality of life. Tele-transitions of care interventions are cost-effective and suitable for large-scale implementation in healthcare settings.

REGISTRATION

The protocol was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42022295665).

TWEETABLE ABSTRACT

Systematic review demonstrates that monitoring older patients at high risk of readmission, following discharge from hospital, using telecommunication and surveillance technologies significantly reduces readmission and mortality rates and improves their quality of life.

The Effectiveness of Family Medicine-Driven Interprofessional Collaboration on the Readmission Rate of Older Patients

Interprofessional collaboration (IPC) for older patient care among family physicians, dentists, therapists, nutritionists, nurses, and pharmacists in the rural hospital care of older patients could improve the hospital readmission rate. However, there is a lack of interventional studies on IPC for improving the readmission rate among Japanese older patients in rural hospitals. This quasi-experimental study was performed on patients >65 years who were discharged from a rural community hospital. The intervention was IPC implementation with effective information sharing and comprehensive management of older patients’ conditions for effective discharge and readmission prevention; implementation started on 1 April 2021. The study lasted 2 years, from 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022 for the intervention group and from 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021 for the comparison group. The average participant age was 79.86 (standard deviation = 15.38) years and the proportion of men was 45.0%. The Cox hazard model revealed that IPC intervention could reduce the readmission rate after adjustment for sex, serum albumin, polypharmacy, dependent condition, and Charlson Comorbidity Index score (hazard ratio = 0.66, 95% confidence interval: 0.54−0.81). Rural IPC intervention can improve inpatient care for older patients and decrease readmission rates. Thus, for effective rural IPC interventions, family physicians in hospitals should proactively collaborate with various medical professionals to improve inpatient health outcomes.

Readmission trends before and after a national reconfiguration of emergency departments in Denmark

OBJECTIVE

In order to achieve better and more efficient emergency health care, the Danish public hospital system has been reconfigured, with hospital emergency care being centralised into extensive and specialised emergency departments. This article examines how this reconfiguration has affected patient readmission rates.

METHODS

We included all unplanned hospital admissions (aged ≥18 years) at public, non-psychiatric hospitals in four geographical regions in Denmark between 1 January 2007 and 24 December 2017. Using an interrupted time-series design, we examined trend changes in the readmission rates. In addition to analysing the overall effect, analyses stratified according to admission time of day and weekdays/weekends were conducted. The analyses were adjusted for patient characteristics and other system changes.

RESULTS

The seven-day readmission rate increased from 2.6% in 2007 to 3.8% in 2017, and the 30-day rate increased from 8.1% to 11.5%. However, the rates were less than what they would have been had the reconfiguration not been introduced. The reconfiguration reduced the seven-day readmission rate by 1.4% annually (hazard ratio [CI 95%] 0.986 [0.981-0.991]) and the 30-day rate by 1% annually (hazard ratio [CI 95%] 0.99 [0.987-0.993]).

CONCLUSIONS

Reconfiguration reduced the rate of increase in readmissions, but nevertheless readmissions still increased across the study period. It seems hospitals and policymakers will need to identify further ways to reduce patient loads.

Early liaison psychiatry consultations and general hospital readmission: A retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Readmission rates are under growing scrutiny as an indicator of quality of care as much as a potential source of savings. Patients with comorbid psychiatric conditions are more likely to be readmitted, so Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry (CLP) may play a role in lowering readmission rates.

METHOD

In this retrospective cohort study conducted in a general hospital in Paris, France, all consecutive adult inpatients referred for the first time to CLP from January 2008 to December 2016, were included. The main outcomes were 30-day and 7-day readmissions in the same hospital, excluding iterative and planned stays. The objective of this study is to determine whether the timing of psychiatric consultations is associated with 30-day and 7-day readmission rates.

RESULTS

A total of 4498 inpatients (2298(51·1%) women, age = 59·8(±19·3) years) were referred to CLP. Adjusting for age, sex, place of residence, year of admission, type of ward, psychiatric diagnosis and disease severity, later consultation was associated with higher 30-day and 7-day readmission rates (adjusted Odds Ratio [95% confidence interval]:1.21[1·10-1·33] and 1·26[1·11-3·13], respectively). Further adjusting for length of stay, the association remained significant for 7-day readmission (1.28[1·05-1·57]). After stratification on the length of stay, for stays in the highest tercile (i.e., >21 days) an intervention after day 3 (versus before) was associated with 30-day and 7-day readmission rates of 15·8% versus 8·6%(1·81 [1·11-3·13]) and 4·9% versus 1·8%(2·98[1·16-9·88]), respectively.

CONCLUSION

Earlier psychiatric consultation was associated with fewer 30-day and 7-day readmissions. Interventional studies are needed to show that proactive CLP teams could help general hospitals to improve quality of care and make significant economic savings.

Is a High Medication Risk Score Associated With Increased Risk of 30-Day Readmission? A Population-Based Cohort Study From CROSS-TRACKS

OBJECTIVES

The primary aim of this study was to evaluate whether a high Medication Risk Score (MERIS) upon admission to an emergency department is associated with increased risk of 30-day readmission in patients discharged directly home. Mortality, visit to general practitioner, and drug changes within 30 days were included as secondary outcomes.

METHODS

This is a historical cohort study with data from the Danish population-based open-cohort CROSS-TRACKS. Cox regression analyses were used to determine whether a high MERIS score was associated with increased risk of 30-day readmission and mortality. Visit to general practitioner and drug changes were tested with χ2 test and Wilcoxon rank sum test.

RESULTS

A total of 2106 patients were eligible: 2017 had a MERIS score lower than 14 (low-risk group), and 89 had a score of 14 or higher (high-risk group). The proportion of patients in the high-risk group who were readmitted was 21.3% compared with 16.3% in the low-risk group, resulting in a hazard ratio for readmission of 1.43 (95% confidence interval, 0.9-1.3). The hazard ratio for mortality was 8.3 (95% confidence interval, 3.0-22.8). No statistical significant difference was found in general practitioner visits; however, significantly more drug changes were observed in the high-risk group.

CONCLUSIONS

A high MERIS score was associated with increased risk of readmissions and can potentially assist healthcare professionals in the prioritizing of patients who may benefit from further exam, for example, additional medication review in acute care setting. Further investigation of MERIS and exploration of causal inferences between medication-related harm and medication-related readmissions are warranted.

The quality of life of older adults acutely admitted to the emergency department: A cross-sectional study

AIM

To investigate perceptions of individual QoL among acutely admitted older adults and explore whether homecare and readmission were associated with QoL.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional study at three Danish Emergency Departments.

METHODS

Semi-structured interviews, using the Schedule for the Evaluation of Individual Quality of Life - Direct Weighting (SEIQol-DW) (range 0-100) with patients ≥65 years, were conducted from August 2018 to July 2019. The differences between patients receiving homecare (yes/no) and readmission (yes/no) were tested using linear regression analyses with bootstrap procedures.

RESULTS

Overall, we included 406 patients, of whom 38% received homecare. The mean SEIQoL-DW-score was 76 (SD = 19). The most important areas of individual QoL were Family, Social activities, Health, Everyday life and Leisure activities. Receiving homecare was associated to a significantly lower QoL score: -8 (SE = 2) and a significantly lower score in the categories Family and Health. There was no association between readmission and QoL.

Predictors for mortality in patients admitted with suspected bacterial infections - A prospective long-term follow-up study

OBJECTIVE

The aim was to examine predictors for all-cause mortality in a long-term follow-up study of adult patients with infectious diseases of suspected bacterial origin.

METHODS

A prospective observational study of patients admitted to the emergency department during 1.10.2017-31.03.2018. We used Cox regression to estimate adjusted hazard ratios (aHR) with 95% confidence intervals for mortality.

RESULTS

A total of 2110 patients were included (median age 73 years). After a median follow-up of 2.1 years 758 (35.9%, 95% CI 33.9-38.0%) patients had died. Age (aHR1.05; 1.04-1.05), male gender (aHR 1.21; 1.17-1.25), cancer (aHR 1.80; 1.73-1.87), misuse of alcohol (aHR 1.30; 1.22-1.38), if admitted with sepsis within the last year before index admission (aHR 1.56;1.50-1.61), a Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score ≥2 (aHR 1.90; 1.83-1.98), SIRS criteria ≥2 (aHR 1.23;1.18-1.28) at admission to the ED, length of stay (aHR 1.05; 1.04-1.05) and devices and implants as sources of infection (aHR 7.0; 5.61-8.73) were independently associated with mortality. Skin infections and increasing haemoblobin values reduced the risk of death.

CONCLUSIONS

More than one-third of a population of patients admitted to the emergency department with infectious diseases of suspected bacterial origin had died during a median follow up of 2.1 years. The study identified several independent predictors for mortality.

Profiling Bispebjerg Acute Cohort: Database Formation, Acute Contact Characteristics of a Metropolitan Hospital, and Comparisons to Urban and Rural Hospitals in Denmark

Purpose

To present a metropolitan cohort, Bispebjerg acute cohort (BAC), and compare patient characteristics and outcomes with patients from urban and rural hospitals in Denmark.

Patients and Methods

We linked data from seven Danish nationwide registries and included all acute contacts to non-psychiatric hospitals in the years 2016–2018. Acute hospital contacts to Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital constituted BAC, representing a solely metropolitan/urban catchment area. Patient characteristics and outcomes were compared to the rest of Denmark in an urban cohort (UrC) and a rural cohort (RuC), stratified by visit and hospitalization contact types.

Results

We identified 4,063,420 acute hospital contacts in Denmark and BAC constituted 8.4% (n=343,200) of them. BAC had a higher proportion of visits (65.1%) compared with UrC (52.1%) and RuC (45.3%). Patients in BAC more often lived alone (visits: BAC: 34.8%, UrC: 30.6%, RuC: 29.2%; hospitalizations: BAC: 50.8%, UrC: 36.7%, RuC: 37.2%) and had temporary CPR number (visits: BAC: 4.4%, UrC: 1.9%, RuC: 1.6%; hospitalizations: BAC: 1.5%, UrC: 0.9%, RuC: 0.8%). Visit patients in BAC were younger (BAC: 36, UrC: 42, RuC: 45 years, median), more often students (BAC: 18.0%, UrC: 14.0%, RuC: 12.5%), and had more contacts due to infectious diseases (BAC: 19.8%, UrC: 14.1%, RuC: 6.2%) but less due to injuries (BAC: 40.0%, UrC: 43.8%, RuC: 60.7%). Hospitalized patients in BAC had higher median age (BAC: 64, UrC: 61, RuC: 64 years) and fewer were in employment than in UrC (BAC: 26.1%, UrC: 32.1%, RuC: 28.1%). BAC Hospitalizations had a lower death rate within 30 days than in RuC (BAC: 3.0% [2.9–3.1%], UrC: 3.1% [3.0–3.1%], RuC: 3.4% [3.3–3.4%]), but a higher readmission-rate (BAC: 20.5% [20.3–20.8%], UrC: 17.3% [17.2–17.4%], RuC: 17.5% [17.5–17.6%]).

Conclusion

Significant differences between BAC, urban, and rural cohorts may be explained by differences in healthcare structure and sociodemographics of the catchment areas.

Older adults who receive homecare are at increased risk of readmission and mortality following a short ED admission: a nationally register-based cohort study

BACKGROUND

Older adults admitted to an emergency department (ED) who are dependent on homecare may be especially challenged with respect to readmission and mortality. This study aimed to assess whether receiving homecare prior admission was associated with readmission or mortality within 30 days of a short ED admission and to explore whether the amount of homecare received was associated with an increased risk of readmission or mortality.

METHODS

This nationwide register-based cohort study included patients aged 65 or above who were admitted to an ED at any Danish hospital from 1 December 2016 to 30 November 2017 and discharged within 48 h. Data were extracted from national registers through Statistics Denmark. Homecare was categorized into groups; patients without homecare and three groups according to the amount of homecare received per week. Logistic regression analyses were used to explore the association between the four homecare groups and outcomes, readmissions and mortality.

RESULTS

In total, 80,517 patients (51% female, median age 75 years) were included in the study. Overall, 64,886 patients without homecare, 15,631 (19%) patients received homecare (64% female, median age 83 years), of which 4938 patients received homecare ≤30 min, 4033 received > 30 min to ≤120 min and 6660 received > 120 min per week. The risk of readmission and mortality increased concurrently with the minutes of homecare received: Patients receiving homecare > 120 min per week had the highest odds ratios (ORs) for readmission within 30 days (OR 1.8 95% CI: 1.7-1.9) and mortality within 30 days (OR 4.5 95% CI: 4.1-4.9) compared with patients without homecare.

CONCLUSION

Receiving homecare was associated with an increased risk of readmission and death following a short ED admission. Collaboration between the ED and primary health care sector in relation to rehabilitation and end-of-life care is essential to improve quality of care for older adults who receive homecare, particularly those receiving homecare > 2 h a week, because of their increased risk of readmission and mortality.

A multimodal nutritional intervention after discharge improves quality of life and physical function in older patients - a randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Many older hospitalized patients are at nutritional risk or malnourished and the nutritional condition is often further impaired during hospitalization. When discharged to own home, a "Nutrition Gap" often occurs, causing inadequate dietary intake, and potentially impeded recovery. Previously, cross-sectorial studies of single component nutritional intervention have shown a limited effect on clinically relevant outcomes. We hypothesized that a multimodal nutritional intervention is necessary to elicit a beneficial effect on clinically relevant outcomes.

METHODS

A randomized controlled trial was performed for a period of 16 weeks. At discharge, the intervention group (IG) received dietetic counselling including a recommendation of daily training, an individual nutrition plan and a package containing foods and drinks covering dietary requirements for the next 24 h. Further, a goodie-bag containing samples of protein-rich milk-based drinks were provided. Information regarding recommendations of nutritional therapy after discharge was systematically and electronically communicated to the municipality. The dietician performed telephone follow-ups on day 4 and 30 and a home visit at 16 weeks. The control group (CG) received standard treatment. The primary outcome was readmissions within 6 month, secondary outcomes were Length of Stay (LOS), Health Related Quality of Life (EQ-5D-3L), nutritional status, physical function (30s-CST) and mortality. This trial was registered under ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier no. NCT03488329.

RESULTS

We included 191 patients (IG: n = 93). No significant difference was seen in readmissions within 6 month (IG: 45% vs. CG: 45%, Risk Ratio (RR): 0.96 0.71-1.31, p = 0.885). At the 16-weeks follow-up more patients in the IG reached at least 75% of energy and protein requirements (82% vs. CG: 61%, p = 0,007). The energy (kcal) and protein intake (g) per kg was significantly higher in the IG (26.4 kcal/kg (±7.4) vs. 22.6 (±7.4), p = 0.0248) (1.1 g/kg (±0.3) vs. 0.9 g/kg (±0.3). Furthermore, significant lower weight loss was seen in IG (0.7 (±4.3) vs. -1.4 (±3.6), p = 0.002). A significant and clinically relevant difference was found in the EQ-5D-3L VAS-score (IG: mean 61.6 ± 16.2 vs. CG: 53.3 ± 19.3, p = 0.011) (Δ14.3 (±15.5) vs. Δ5.6 (±17.2), p = 0.002). A significant difference in mean 30s-CST in IG was also found (7.2 (±4.3) vs. 5.3 (±4.1), p = 0.010). The improvements in physical function were of clinical relevance in both groups, but significantly higher in the IG (Δ4.2 (±4.4) vs. Δ2.2 (±2.5), p = 0.008). In fact, 86% in IG experienced improvements in the 30s-CST compared with 68% in the CG (p = 0.022). LOS was found to be lower at all time points, however not significant (30 days: -3 (-8.5 to 2.5), p = 0.276, 16 weeks: -4 (-10.2 to 2.2, p = 0.204), 6 months: -3 (-9.3 to 3.3, p = 0346)). All-cause mortality was not different between groups, however RR showed a non-significantly 47% reduction at day 30 (0.53 (0.14-2.05, p = 0.499)) and a 17% reduction at 16 weeks (0.83 (0.40-1.73, p = 1.000)) in IG. Per protocol (PP) analysis revealed a non-significant decrease of 32% in readmission at 6 months (RR: 0.68 (0.42-1.08), p = 0.105).

CONCLUSION

The present study, using a multimodal nutritional approach, revealed no significant effect on readmissions however a significant positive effect on nutritional status, quality of life and physical function was found. The improvements in quality of life and physical function were of clinical relevance. No significant effect was found on LOS and mortality.

Mortality of older acutely admitted medical patients after early discharge from emergency departments: a nationwide cohort study

Background

The mortality of older patients after early discharge from hospitals is sparsely described. Information on factors associated with mortality can help identify high-risk patients who may benefit from preventive interventions. The aim of this study was to examine whether demographic factors, comorbidity and admission diagnoses are predictors of 30-day mortality among acutely admitted older patients discharged within 24 h after admission.

Methods

All medical patients aged ≥65 years admitted acutely to Danish hospitals between 1 January 2013 and 30 June 2014 surviving a hospital stay of ≤24 h were included. Demographic factors, comorbidity, discharge diagnoses and mortality within 30 days were described using data from the Danish National Patient Registry and the Civil Registration System. Cox regression was used to estimate adjusted hazard ratios (aHR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) for all-cause mortality.

Results

A total of 93,295 patients (49.4% men) with a median age of 75 years (interquartile range: 69–82 years), were included. Out of these, 2775 patients (3.0%; 95% CI 2.9–3.1%) died within 30 days after discharge. The 30-day mortality was increased in patients with age 76–85 years (aHR 1.59; 1.45–1.75) and 86+ years (aHR 3.35; 3.04–3.70), male gender (aHR 1.22; 1.11–1.33), a Charlson Comorbidity Index of 1–2 (aHR 2.15; 1.92–2.40) and 3+ (aHR 4.07; 3.65–4.54), and unmarried status (aHR 1.17; 1.08–1.27). Discharge diagnoses associated with 30-day mortality were heart failure (aHR 1.52; 1.17–1.95), respiratory failure (aHR 3.18; 2.46–4.11), dehydration (aHR 2.87; 2.51–3.29), constipation (aHR 1.31; 1.02–1.67), anemia (aHR 1.45; 1.27–1.66), pneumonia (aHR 2.24; 1.94–2.59), urinary tract infection (aHR 1.33; 1.14–1.55), dyspnea (aHR 1.57; 1.32–1.87) and suspicion of malignancy (aHR 2.06; 1.64–2.59).

Conclusions

Three percent had died within 30 days. High age, male gender, the comorbidity burden, unmarried status and several primary discharge diagnoses were identified as independent prognostic factors of 30-day all-cause mortality.