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Published on: December 31, 2015
Incidence of and predictors for short-term readmission among preterm low-birthweight infants
Yen-Hsueh Tseng1, Chi-Wen Chen, Hsiu-Li Huang
1Center for Medical Quality Management, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
Insights
Short-term readmission is high for preterm low-birthweight (PLBW) infants in Taiwan. Male gender, low birth weight, congenital issues, and lung disease increase readmission risk, while shorter hospital stays may reduce it.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal care
- Public health
- Pediatric readmission research
Background:
- Readmission shortly after discharge is a key indicator of healthcare quality.
- Investigating readmission rates in preterm low-birthweight (PLBW) infants is crucial for understanding care quality.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the incidence and predictors of readmission within 31 days for PLBW infants in Taiwan.
- To analyze factors influencing short-term readmission in this vulnerable population.
Main Methods:
- A population-based cohort study analyzed 18,421 PLBW infants using Taiwan's National Health Insurance data (2000-2002).
- Calculated cumulative incidence rates (CIR) and hazard ratios for readmission based on various predictors.
Main Results:
- The 31-day readmission CIR was 13.5% (9.6% for 15 days).
- Risk factors included male gender, weight <1000g, congenital abnormalities, and lung disease.
- Shorter hospital stays (<35 days) correlated with lower readmission risk; urban areas and regional hospitals showed higher rates.
Conclusions:
- Taiwan's PLBW infant readmission rates exceed those in Western countries.
- Further research is needed to understand geographic and hospital variations in readmission rates for targeted interventions.
Background:
Readmission temporally close to discharge can best reflect the quality of care received in the last hospitalization, and has been considered a valuable indicator for the quality of care received. The aim of the present study was to investigate the incidence of and predictors for readmission within 31 days after discharge among preterm low-birthweight (PLBW) infants (ICD-9-code: 765.0x) in Taiwan.
Methods:
Based on Taiwan's National Health Insurance claim data, a population-based cohort including a total of 18,421 PLBW infants born and hospitalized in 2000-02, was analyzed. The cumulative incidence rate (CIR) of readmission and the hazard ratio of readmission in relation to potential predictors were calculated.
Results:
The total number of participants readmitted within 15 or 31 days after discharge was 1763 and 2484, representing a CIR of 9.6% and 13.5%, respectively. Significant predictors for readmission within 15 or 31 days were essentially similar. Male gender, weight <1000 g, presence of congenital abnormalities, and lung disease were significant risk factors for readmission. Shorter length of hospital stay (<35 days) was associated with a reduced risk of readmission, and there were significant geographic and hospital variations of readmission, with higher rates noted in the most urbanized area and at regional hospitals.
Conclusion:
The short-term readmission rate among Taiwanese PLBW infants is higher than in Western countries. Future studies should be conducted to investigate the causes of apparent geographic and hospital variations of readmission rates in order to make more specific interpretations.
