Weekend discharge not linked to increased readmission
(HealthDay)—For patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), congestive heart failure (CHF), and pneumonia, weekend discharge is not associated with 30-day readmission, according to a study published online June 30 in the Journal of Hospital Medicine.
Jordan M. Cloyd, M.D., from Stanford University in California, and colleagues used the 2012 California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development database to examine the impact of weekend discharge on 30-day hospital readmission rates. Data were included for 266,519 patients with AMI, CHF, or pneumonia, of whom 22.5 percent were discharged on a weekend.
The researchers observed similar unadjusted 30-day hospital readmission rates for weekend and weekday discharges (AMI: 21.9 versus 21.9 percent; CHF: 15.4 versus 16.0 percent; pneumonia: 12.1 versus 12.4 percent). Weekday discharge correlated with longer length of stay and more frequent discharge to a skilled nursing facility. There was no association for weekend discharge with readmission in multivariable logistic regression models (AMI: odds ratio [OR], 1.02; 95 percent confidence interval [CI], 0.98 to 1.06; CHF: OR, 0.99; 95 percent CI, 0.94 to 1.03; and pneumonia: OR, 1.02; 95 percent CI, 0.98 to 1.07).
"In conclusion, among patients admitted with AMI, CHF, or pneumonia in California, discharge on a weekend is not associated with hospital readmission," the authors write. "Future studies on hospital readmissions should use a population-based approach to accurately capture all readmissions following discharge."
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