Factors Associated With Return Visits at 7 Days After Hospital Discharge

Area of Science:

• Pediatric healthcare research
• Hospital readmission analysis
• Patient safety and outcomes

Background:

• Hospital revisits and readmissions pose significant challenges in pediatric care.
• Understanding predictors of early return visits is essential for improving patient outcomes and resource allocation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify patient characteristics and clinical variables associated with hospital return visits within 7 days after discharge.
• To analyze factors contributing to revisits and readmissions in a pediatric population.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective study utilizing the Pediatric Health Information System database and electronic medical records.
• Analysis of 7-day revisits and readmissions from October 2012 to September 2015.
• Generalized estimating equations used to examine factors associated with revisits for common pediatric hospitalizations.

Main Results:

• A total of 736 (4.2%) revisits and 416 (2.3%) readmissions occurred within 7 days.
• Predictors of 7-day revisits and readmissions included patient age, length of hospital stay, and the presence of a chronic medical condition.
• Insurance status and race were also associated with revisits and readmissions, respectively, in bivariate analysis.

Conclusions:

• Patient characteristics associated with a higher risk of early return to the emergency department and/or hospital readmission were identified.
• Early identification of at-risk pediatric patients can enable targeted interventions and enhanced care coordination at discharge.