PS 1997; 48:1584-1586
Copyright © 1997 by American Psychiatric Association
Instability before discharge and previous psychiatric admissions as predictors of early readmission
EP Monnelly
Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
In a retrospective chart review, the quality of care given 531 hospitalized
veterans during an index admission was examined to determine whether
patient characteristics or aspects of treatment differed between 243
patients readmitted within 30 days of discharge and a control group of 288
patients not readmitted for at least six months. The strongest predictor of
early readmission was a greater number of previous admissions. Patient
instability in the five days before discharge also predicted early
readmission. These results may help identify patients at higher risk of
early rehospitalization. Ensuring that patients with higher rates of
rehospitalization are stable before discharge may help reduce early
readmission.
