Discharge medication complexity and 30-day heart failure readmissions

Limited research exists regarding Medication Regimen Complexity Index (MRCI) and its utility in identifying patients at risk for hospital readmission.

This study evaluates the association between discharge MRCI and 30-day rehospitalization in patients with heart failure (HF) after discharge.

The study involved a retrospective, cohort study at a large tertiary teaching facility from the University HealthSystem Consortium. The consortium database was used to identify HF patients hospitalized from January 2011 to December 2013. A 30-day readmission was defined as being readmitted to the same hospital within 30 days of discharge with a principal discharge diagnosis of HF. Index hospitalizations was defined as the first hospitalization, and readmission was the subsequent hospitalization for HF. A pilot analysis was conducted to compare manual MRCI collection tool and a computerized scoring MRCI system. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine the association of computerized MRCI (≥15) and 30-day rehospitalization after controlling for other variables.

A total of 1,452 patients were included in the study with 81 patients (5.9%) readmitted within 30 days of discharge. The manual and computerized MRCIs were correlated with an R of 0.74 and R² of 0.55. The multivariate logistic regression analysis found computerized MRCI ≥15 (OR: 1.62; 95% CI: 1.01-2.59) was associated with 30-day rehospitalization after controlling for other factors. Patients prescribed angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers, were less likely (OR: 0.54; CI: 0.33-0.89) to be readmitted 30 days after discharge, and patients with coronary artery disease were more likely (OR: 1.76; CI: 1.03-3.00) to be readmitted 30 days after discharge.

The computerized MRCI score was moderately correlated with manual MRCI score. A significant association was found between computerized MRCI and 30-day HF readmission. Such predictive tools may allow pharmacists to prioritize patient care and optimize patient outcomes through medication therapy management.