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Is weekend discharge associated with hospital readmission?
Author(s) -
Cloyd Jordan M.,
Chen Joy C.,
Ma Yifei,
Rhoads Kim F.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
journal of hospital medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.128
H-Index - 65
eISSN - 1553-5606
pISSN - 1553-5592
DOI - 10.1002/jhm.2406
Subject(s) - medicine , hospital medicine , myocardial infarction , weekend effect , hospital readmission , heart failure , hospital discharge , logistic regression , odds ratio , emergency medicine , patient discharge , pneumonia , hospital admission , odds , medline , political science , law
BACKGROUND Although recent evidence suggests worse outcomes for patients admitted to the hospital on a weekend, the impact of weekend discharge is less understood. METHODS Utilizing the 2012 California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development database, the impact of weekend discharge on 30‐day hospital readmission rates for patients admitted with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), congestive heart failure (CHF), or pneumonia (PNA) was investigated. RESULTS Out of 266,519 patients, 60,097 (22.5%) were discharged on a weekend. Unadjusted 30‐day hospital readmission rates were similar between weekend and weekday discharges (AMI: 21.9% vs 21.9%; CHF: 15.4% vs 16.0%; PNA: 12.1% vs 12.4%). Patients discharged on a weekday had a longer length of stay and were more often discharged to a skilled nursing facility. However, in multivariable logistic regression models, weekend discharge was not associated with readmission (AMI: odds ratio [OR] 1.02 [95% CI: 0.98‐1.06]; CHF: OR 0.99 [95% CI: 0.94‐1.03]; PNA: OR 1.02 (95% CI: 0.98‐1.07)). CONCLUSIONS Among patients in California with AMI, CHF, and PNA, discharge on a weekend was not associated with an increased hospital readmission rate. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2015;10:731–737. © 2015 Society of Hospital Medicine