Hospital Readmissions Among the Elderly

TLDR

The study examined six‑month readmission rates in 444 elderly patients (≥65) with cerebrovascular disease, hip fracture, or congestive heart failure admitted to a large metropolitan teaching hospital. Twenty‑four percent of patients were readmitted within six months, with the highest risk in congestive heart failure (36%) and notable variability across diagnostic groups, indicating that readmission among the elderly is a complex, multifaceted phenomenon.

Abstract

This paper investigates the six‐month hospital readmission rates among 444 patients 65 years of age or older admitted to a large metropolitan teaching hospital who had a primary discharge diagnosis of cerebrovascular disease, hip fracture, or congestive heart failure. Twenty‐four percent were readmitted to the same institution one or more times during the six‐month follow‐up. Striking variability was observed in use of hospitals across these diagnostic groups. Patients with a primary diagnosis of congestive heart failure were at highest risk of hospital readmission (36%). Multiple readmissions among the congestive heart failure group were prevalent. These preliminary data suggest that hospital readmission among the aged is a complex multifaceted phenomena.