Background: Hospital at Home provides acute medical treatment in the patient's home. To prevent re-hospitalization in these outpatients, it is decisive to identify high-risk groups. This study aimed to identify patient characteristics for increased risk of 30 days re-hospitalization, after referral to Hospital at Home.
Methods: A registry-based study was conducted using information from a hospital and a team providing Hospital at Home treatment. A total of 379 patients above the age of 18, who had received parenteral therapy by the team, in the period 01.03.2011 to 31.12.2012, were identified. Comorbid conditions were defined using Charlson's Comorbidity Index and divided into groups of score (0, 1 and ≥ 2). Cox regression analysis was used to estimate a risk of 30 days re-hospitalization by computing the hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence interval (95% CI).
Results: Within 30 days after referral to Hospital at Home 32.5% of the population was re-hospitalized. An increased risk of readmission was found in patients with a comorbidity score ≥ 2 (HR 2.06, 95% CI 1.33-3.18) and in patients referred to Hospital at Home from a hospital department (HR 1.56, 95% CI 1.02-2.38). Primary care tended to reduce the risk of readmission although not significant (HR 0.65, 95% CI 0.41-1.04).
Conclusions: This study suggests that, patients with comorbidities and/or patients referred by the hospital are in a greater risk of readmission. Further readmission may be prevented in patients receiving primary care.
Keywords: Acute disease; Home infusion therapy; Homecare services; Outpatients; Readmission; Risk factors.
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