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Association between inpatient palliative care encounter and 30-day all-cause readmissions after index hospitalization
Ali Yazdanyar1, Ashley Vojtek2, Sachin Gupta3
1Department of Emergency and Hospital Medicine, Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest, Allentown, PA, United States; Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States.
Background:
Studies exist on the association between inpatient Palliative Care Encounter (iPCE) and 30-day rehospitalization among cancer and several non-cancer conditions but limited in persons with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).
Objective:
To assess the association between an iPCE with the risk of 30-day rehospitalization after an index hospitalization for COPD.
Methods:
We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of the Nationwide Readmissions Database (2010-2014). Index hospitalizations were defined as persons ≥ 18 years of age, discharge destinations of either Home/Routine, Home with Home Care, or a Facility, and an index hospitalization with Diagnosis Related Group of COPD. The International Classification of Diseases, 9th revision codes were used to extract comorbidities and a Palliative Care Encounter (V66.7).
Results:
There were 3,163,889 index hospitalizations and iPCE occurred in 21,330 (0.67%). There were 558,059 (17.63%) with a 30-day rehospitalization. An iPCE was associated with a significantly lower adjusted odds of 30-day readmission (Odds Ratio [OR], 0.50; 95% Confidence Interval [CI], 0.46 to 0.54). By discharge destination, the odds of 30-day rehospitalization were for a discharged to a facility (OR, 0.37; 95% CI, 0.32 to 0.42), to home with home health (OR, 0.42; 95% CI, 0.37 to 0.47), and to home (OR, 0.98; 95% CI, 0.85 to 1.12) for those with relative to without iPCE.
Conclusion:
Inpatient PCE was associated with a 50% lower relative odds of 30-day rehospitalization after an index hospitalization for COPD. This association varied by discharge destination being statistically significant among those with a discharge destination of a facility (63%) and home with home care (58%).
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