Overview
We looked at information collected from the 1,066 readmitted patients, and examined their answers about why they believed they needed to be readmitted. Our most surprising finding was that patients did not believe that communication or understanding of the post-discharge plan was an important factor, but that carrying them out was a more substantial challenge. In this vein, patients reported problems that we organized into 8 overarching themes: 1) Practical aspects of discharge planning (transportation), 2) Medication safety, 3) Social supports, 4) Difficulty with care coordination, 5) Managing symptoms, 6) Perceived problems with hospital care quality, 7) Self-care problems (e.g., access to food), and 8) Patient-specific challenges (e.g., financial problems or substance use).
Principal Investigator
Ryan Greysen, MD, MHS
Objectives
To characterise patient-reported or caregiver-reported factors contributing to readmission.
Project Design
Cross-sectional, national study of general medicine patients readmitted within 30 days at 12 US hospitals. Interviews included multiple-choice survey and open-ended survey questions of patients or their caregivers.
