Early Hospital Readmissions Following an Acute Exacerbation of COPD in the Nationwide Readmissions Database.
Ann Am Thorac Soc. 2018 Apr 03;:
Authors: Jacobs DM, Noyes K, Zhao J, Gibson W, Murphy TF, Sethi S, Ochs-Balcom HM
Abstract
RATIONALE: Understanding the causes and factors related to readmission for an acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) within a nationwide database including all payers and ages can provide valuable input for the development of generalizable readmission reduction strategies.
OBJECTIVES: To determine the rates, causes, and predictors for early (3-, 7-, and 30-day) readmission in patients hospitalized with AECOPD in the United States utilizing the Nationwide Readmission Database (NRD) following the initiation of the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP) but prior to its expansion to COPD.
METHODS: We conducted an analysis of the NRD from 2013-2014. Index admissions and readmissions for an AECOPD were defined consistent with HRRP guidelines. We investigated the percentage of 30-day readmissions occurring each day after discharge and the most common readmission diagnoses at different time periods after hospitalization. The relationship between predictors, categorized as patient, clinical, and hospital factors, and early readmission were evaluated using a hierarchical two-level logistic model. To examine covariate effects on early day readmission, predictors for 3-, 7- and 30-day readmissions were modeled separately.
RESULTS: There were 202,300 30-day readmissions after 1,055,830 index AECOPD admissions, a rate of 19.2%. The highest readmission rates (4.2-5.5%) were within the first 72 hours of discharge, and 58% of readmissions were within the first 15 days. Respiratory-based diseases were the most common reasons for readmission (52.4%), and COPD was the most common diagnosis (28.4%). Readmission diagnoses were similar at different time periods after discharge. Early readmission was associated with patient (Medicaid payer status, lower household income, and higher comorbidity burden) and clinical factors (longer length of stay and discharge to a skilled nursing facility). Predictors did not vary substantially by time of readmission after discharge, within the 30 day window.
CONCLUSIONS: Thirty-day readmissions after an AECOPD remain a major healthcare burden and are characterized by a similar spectrum of readmission diagnoses. Predictors associated with readmission include both patient and clinical factors. Development of a COPD-specific risk stratification algorithm based on these factors may be necessary to better predict AECOPD patients at high risk of early readmission.
PMID: 29611719 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]