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Predictors of readmission after outpatient otolaryngologic surgery
Author(s) -
Jain Umang,
Chandra Rakesh K.,
Smith Stephanie S.,
Pilecki Matthew,
Kim John Y. S.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
the laryngoscope
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.181
H-Index - 148
eISSN - 1531-4995
pISSN - 0023-852X
DOI - 10.1002/lary.24533
Subject(s) - medicine , confidence interval , emergency medicine , otorhinolaryngology , odds ratio , multivariate analysis , specialty , retrospective cohort study , hospital readmission , outpatient surgery , emergency department , surgery , ambulatory , family medicine , psychiatry
Objectives/Hypothesis Hospital readmissions increase costs to hospitals and patients. There is a paucity of data on benchmark rates of readmission for otolaryngological surgery. Understanding the risk factors that increase readmission rates may help enhance patient education and set system‐wide expectations. We aimed to provide benchmark data on causes and predictors of readmission following outpatient otolaryngological surgery. Study Design This study is a retrospective analysis of the 2011 National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) dataset. Methods NSQIP was reviewed for outpatients with “Otolaryngology (ENT)” as their recorded surgical specialty. Readmission was tracked through the “Unplanned Readmission” variable. Patient characteristics and outcomes were compared using chi‐square analysis and student t tests for categorical and continuous variables, respectively. Multivariate regression analysis investigated predictors of readmission. Results A total of 6,788 outpatient otolaryngological surgery patients were isolated. The unplanned readmission rate was 2.01%. Multivariate regression analysis revealed superficial surgical site infection (odds ratio [OR] 2.672, confidence interval [CI] 1.133‐6.304, P = .025) and work relative value units (RVU) (OR .972, CI .944–1, P = .049) to be significant predictors of readmission. Conclusion Outpatient otolaryngological surgery has an associated 2.01% unplanned readmission rate. Superficial surgical site infection and work RVUs proved to be significant positive and negative risk factors, respectively, for readmission. These findings will help to benchmark outpatient readmission rates and manage patient and hospital system expectations. Level of Evidence 2c. Laryngoscope , 124:1783–1788, 2013