Food Insecurity, Neighborhood Disadvantage, and Hospital Readmission in Health System Adults: A Population Health...

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Patient Outcomes
• Healthcare Disparities

Background:

• Hospital readmissions pose a significant burden on healthcare systems.
• Understanding factors contributing to readmission is vital for effective patient care.
• Food insecurity is an emerging concern impacting patient health post-discharge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between food insecurity and neighborhood disadvantage with 90-day hospital readmissions.
• To identify key determinants of readmission for health system patients.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective correlational study design utilizing a single cohort.
• Analysis of adult patient records from health system billing, medical records, and public population databases.
• Time-to-readmission analysis employing Kaplan-Meier plots, log-rank tests, and Cox regression.

Main Results:

• The study included 41,566 patient records, with a 1.45% food insecurity rate and a 16.7% 90-day readmission rate.
• Food insecurity was associated with a 1.94 times higher risk of readmission after adjusting for covariates (HR, 1.94; 95% CI, 1.69-2.23; P < .001).
• Neighborhood disadvantage and food access were not significant predictors in the final models.

Conclusions:

• Identifying and addressing food insecurity is essential during transitional care to enhance patient outcomes.
• Future research should explore care models connecting patients to community resources for food insecurity resolution.
• Evaluating the impact of interventions on patient outcomes is recommended.