Site of hospital readmission and mortality: a population-based retrospective cohort study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Unplanned hospital readmission is a complex process, particularly if the patient is readmitted to an acute care institution other than the original hospital. This study tested the hypothesis that readmission to an alternative hospital is associated with increased mortality compared with readmission to the original hospital.

Methods

We performed a population-based retrospective cohort analysis set between 1995 and 2010 for all 21 acute care adult general hospitals in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area. Participants were consecutive adults (age ≥ 18 yr) readmitted through the emergency department within 30 days after hospital discharge. The primary outcome measure was all-cause mortality within 30 days after readmission.

Results

Of the 198 149 patients inc

SUBMITTER: Staples JA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4084742 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature