Home > Frequency and risk factors associated with emergency medical readmissions in Galway University Hospitals.

Gorman, J and Vellinga, A and Gilmartin, J and O’Keeffe, ST (2010) Frequency and risk factors associated with emergency medical readmissions in Galway University Hospitals. Irish Journal of Medical Science, 179, (2), pp. 255-258. DOI: 10.1007/s11845-009-0452-z.

BACKGROUND: Unplanned readmissions of medical hospital patients have been increasing in recent years. We examined the frequency and associates of emergency medical readmissions to Galway University Hospitals (GUH).

METHOD: Readmissions during the calendar year 2006 were examined using hospital in-patient enquiry data. Associations with clinical and demographic factors were determined using univariate and multivariate analyses.

RESULTS: The medical emergency readmission rate to GUH, after correction for death during the index admission, was 19.5%. Age 65 years or more, male gender, length of stay more than 7 days and primary diagnoses of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, myocardial infarction, alcohol-related disease and heart failure during the index admission were significantly associated with readmission in univariate and multivariate analyses.

CONCLUSION: The medical emergency readmission rate in GUH is comparable to other acute hospitals in Ireland and Britain. Further evaluation is needed to estimate the proportion of readmissions that are potentially avoidable.


Item Type
Article
Publication Type
Irish-related, Article
Drug Type
Alcohol
Date
2010
Identification #
DOI: 10.1007/s11845-009-0452-z
Page Range
pp. 255-258
Publisher
Springer
Volume
179
Number
2
EndNote
Accession Number
HRB (Not in collection)
Related (external) link

Click here to request a copy of this literature

Repository Staff Only: item control page