Linking data to determine risk for 30-day readmissions in dementia

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Health Services Research
• Medical Informatics

Background:

• The growing demand for dementia care highlights the need for standardized care across patient encounters.
• Electronic Health Records (EHRs) offer a valuable data source for improving patient care continuity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify risk factors for 30-day hospital readmissions in patients with Alzheimer disease and related dementias (ADRD).
• To leverage EHR-derived variables for enhanced understanding of ADRD patient readmission drivers.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective, cross-sectional study of 14,101 adult patients (≥65 years) with ADRD discharged between October 2018 and March 2022.
• Data extraction from EHRs included demographics, medical history, and encounter details across care episodes.

Main Results:

• Advanced age, male sex, non-English speaking status, severe comorbidities, prolonged hospital stays (>5 days), multiple prior surgeries or admissions, frequent consultations, and non-home discharge settings were significant readmission risk factors (P < .05).

Conclusions:

• EHR data integration across care episodes provides crucial insights into ADRD readmission factors.
• Identifying these factors can inform strategies to improve care continuity for ADRD patients and caregivers, potentially reducing costs and enhancing outcomes.