Hospital Factors Associated With Care Discontinuity Following Emergency General Surgery

Abstract

Nearly 1 in 5 older EGS patients is readmitted to a hospital other than where their original procedure was performed. This care discontinuity is independently associated with mortality and is highest among EGS patients who are treated at large, teaching, safety-net hospitals. These data underscore the need for sustained efforts in increasing continuity of care among these hospitals and highlight the importance of accounting for these factors in risk-adjusted hospital comparisons.