Risk Factors for Readmission on an Adult Inpatient Psychiatric Unit

Readmission rates have been proposed as a possible quality metric for inpatient psychiatry. Little is known about predicting readmissions and identifying modifiable factors that may reduce early readmissions in these settings.

We reviewed 693 medical records from our adult inpatient psychiatric unit to identify factors associated with patients' readmission within 90 days of discharge.

After adjusting for all variables, and including interactions between identified factors, we found several demographic features predicting readmission, including male gender with suicidal ideation on admission (odds ratio [OR] = 13.2; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.4-51.9), a diagnosis of a psychotic disorder with a prior medical admission (OR = 5.7; 95% CI, 1.7-20.6), and suicidal ideation with comorbid personality disorder (OR = 5.3; 95% CI, 1.4-20.6). Demographic features decreasing the odds of readmission included being non-white with homeless living situation (OR = 0.18; 95% CI, 0.04-0.82), medication changes made within 48 hours of discharge (OR = 0.44; 95% CI, 0.23-0.84), and the number of medications dispensed without documented follow-up plan or appointment (OR = 0.88; 95% CI, 0.81-0.96).

Future prospective studies utilizing qualitative and quantitative methods are required to more precisely define a wider array of metrics. Improved identification of demographic features associated with early readmissions may suggest areas to target as we seek to the quality of inpatient psychiatric care.