Avoidable 30‐day readmissions in patients undergoing vascular surgery
File(s)
Published version
Supporting information
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Background: Vascular surgery has one of the highest unplanned 30-day readmission rates of all surgical specialities. The degree to which these may be avoidable and the optimal strategies to reduce their occurrence is unknown. The aim of this study was to identify and classify avoidable 30-day readmissions in patients undergoing vascular surgery in order to plan targeted interventions to reduce their occurrence, improve outcomes and reduce cost.
Methods: A retrospective analysis of discharges over a 12-month period from a single tertiary vascular unit was performed. A multidisciplinary panel conducted a manual case note review to identify and classify those 30-day unplanned emergency readmissions deemed avoidable.
Results: An unplanned 30-day readmission occurred in 72/885 (8.1%) admissions. These unplanned readmissions were deemed avoidable in 50.0% (36/72) and were most frequently due to unresolved medical issues (19/36, 52.8%) and inappropriate admission with the potential for outpatient management (7/36, 19.4%). A smaller number were due to inadequate social care provision (4/36, 11.1%) and the occurrence of other avoidable adverse events (4/36, 11.1%).
Conclusion: Half of all 30-day readmissions in vascular patients are potentially avoidable. Multidisciplinary coordination of inpatient care and the transition from hospital to community care following discharge need to be improved.
Methods: A retrospective analysis of discharges over a 12-month period from a single tertiary vascular unit was performed. A multidisciplinary panel conducted a manual case note review to identify and classify those 30-day unplanned emergency readmissions deemed avoidable.
Results: An unplanned 30-day readmission occurred in 72/885 (8.1%) admissions. These unplanned readmissions were deemed avoidable in 50.0% (36/72) and were most frequently due to unresolved medical issues (19/36, 52.8%) and inappropriate admission with the potential for outpatient management (7/36, 19.4%). A smaller number were due to inadequate social care provision (4/36, 11.1%) and the occurrence of other avoidable adverse events (4/36, 11.1%).
Conclusion: Half of all 30-day readmissions in vascular patients are potentially avoidable. Multidisciplinary coordination of inpatient care and the transition from hospital to community care following discharge need to be improved.
Date Issued
2019-12
Date Acceptance
2019-05-09
Citation
BJS Open, 2019, 3 (6), pp.759-766
ISSN
2474-9842
Publisher
Wiley
Start Page
759
End Page
766
Journal / Book Title
BJS Open
Volume
3
Issue
6
Copyright Statement
© 2019 The Authors. BJS Open published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of BJS Society Ltd
This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ) License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ) License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Sponsor
National Institute of Health Research
Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust- BRC Funding
Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust- BRC Funding
Grant Number
RDB04 79560
RD207
Subjects
Science & Technology
Life Sciences & Biomedicine
Surgery
FOLLOW-UP VISITS
HOSPITAL READMISSIONS
INTERVENTION
DISCHARGE
QUALITY
SERVICE
RATES
Science & Technology
Life Sciences & Biomedicine
Surgery
FOLLOW-UP VISITS
HOSPITAL READMISSIONS
INTERVENTION
DISCHARGE
QUALITY
SERVICE
RATES
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2019-08-02