Patient-level Social Determinants of Unplanned Hospital Readmission among General Internal Medicine Patients
Year: 2016
Type: dissertation
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Hospital readmissions have garnered considerable attention among researchers, clinicians, and policy-makers because they are common, costly, and potentially preventable. The purpose of this study was to understand whether patient-level socio-demographic factors are independently associated with 30-day readmission among General Internal Medicine (GIM) patients. This retrospective cohort study included 1427 patients discharged from the GIM service of an urban teaching hospital in Toronto, Canada between the years 2012 and 2014. Multivariable Cox regression was used to analyze relationships between 13 socio-demographic variables and 30-day unplanned all-cause readmission while controlling for validated clinical risk factors. Socio-demographic factors were not found to be significantly associated with readmission within this cohort. Factors related to illness-level, particularly previous hospital utilization, were significantly associated with readmission. Knowledge generated from this study may inform the efforts of clinicians, hospital managers, and policy makers working to reduce hospital readmission rates and develop health systems which facilitate population health equity.
Source: TSpace (University of Toronto)
Author: Robert Smith
Language: English
Subfield: Leadership and Management
Field: Nursing
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2618371999