Home Discharge Has Increased After Total Hip Arthroplasty, However Rates Vary Between Large Databases

There have been significant advancements in perioperative total hip arthroplasty (THA) care and it is essential to quantify efforts made to better optimize patients and improve outcomes. The purpose of this study is to assess trends in discharge destination, length of stay (LOS), reoperations, and readmissions following THA.

Patients undergoing primary THA were identified using International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Current Procedural Terminology codes in the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP) and Humana claims databases. Discharge destinations were assessed and categorized as home or not home. Trends in discharge destination, LOS, readmissions, reoperation, and comorbidity burden were assessed.

In ACS NSQIP, 155,637 patients underwent THA and the percentage of patients discharging home increased from 72.2% in 2011 to 87.0% in 2017 (P < .0001). In Humana, 84,832 THA patients were identified, with an increase in home discharge from 56.6% to 72.8% (P < .0001). LOS decreased and proportion of patients with an American Society of Anesthesiologists score ≥3 or Charlson Comorbidity Index ≥2 increased significantly for both home and nonhome going patients. Patients discharged home had a decrease in readmissions in both databases.

Patients undergoing THA more often discharged home and had shorter hospital LOS with lower readmission rates, despite an increasingly comorbid patient population. It is likely these changes in disposition and LOS have resulted in significant cost savings for both payers and hospitals. The efforts necessary to maintain improvements should be considered when changes to reimbursement are being evaluated. ACS NSQIP hospitals had a larger proportion of patients discharged home and the source of data used to benchmark hospitals should be considered as findings may differ.