Key result
Patients view 30-day readmissions as medication-related and preventable more often than providers.
Why the study?
Polypharmacy is a potential risk factor for hospital readmissions, but no studies had explored patients' perspectives on the medication relatedness and potential preventability of their readmissions.
Does the patient perspective on medication relatedness and preventability of 30-day hospital readmissions differ from the provider perspective?
Cross-Sectional (n=172)
No
Does the patient perspective on medication relatedness and preventability of 30-day hospital readmissions differ from the provider perspective?
Absolute Event Rate: 21% vs 15%
Patients and providers have substantially different perspectives on the causes of readmissions, highlighting the need for better patient engagement and communication regarding medication at discharge.
Discordance in perceived medication-related readmissions may signal discharge communication gaps; leaves open whether aligning views reduces readmissions.
BACKGROUND: Hospital readmissions are increasingly used as an indicator of quality in health care. One potential risk factor of readmissions is polypharmacy. No studies have explored the patients' perspectives on the medication relatedness and potential preventability of their readmissions. OBJECTIVE: To compare the patients' perspectives on the medication relatedness and potential preventability of their readmissions with the providers' perspectives. METHODS: Patients unplanned readmitted within 30 days after discharge at one of the participating departments of OLVG Hospital in Amsterdam were interviewed during their readmission. Patients' perspectives regarding medication relatedness of their readmissions, the potential preventability, possible preventable interventions, and satisfaction with medication information were examined. Health-care providers also reviewed files of these readmitted patients. Primary outcome was the percentage of medication-related and potentially preventable readmissions according to the patient vs the provider. Descriptive data analysis was used. RESULTS: According to patients, 36 of 172 (21%) readmissions were medication-related, and of these, 21 (58%) were potentially preventable. According to providers, 26 (15%) readmissions were medication-related and 6 (23%) of these were potentially preventable. Patients and providers agreed on the medication relatedness in 11 of the 172 readmissions, and in two of these, agreement on the potential preventability existed. According to patients, preventive interventions belonged mostly to the hospital level, followed by the primary care level and patient level. CONCLUSION: Patients and providers differ substantially on their perspectives regarding the medication relatedness and preventability of readmissions. Patients were more likely to view medication-related readmissions as preventable.
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Uitvlugt et al. (2019) conducted a cross-sectional in Unplanned hospital readmission (n=172). Patient perspective vs. Provider perspective was evaluated on Percentage of medication-related readmissions. Patients were more likely than providers to view their 30-day hospital readmissions as medication-related (21% vs 15%) and potentially preventable (58% vs 23% of medication-related readmissions).
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