Non-home discharge for cardiac surgery patients can be predicted preoperatively, which may shorten length of stay and reduce resource use, according to a study in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons.
Researchers analyzed the discharge patterns and preoperative data of cardiac surgery patients at Cleveland Clinic from Oct. 2008 to Dec. 2009. They then validated this model on patients discharged from Dec. 2009 to July 2010.
Eighteen percent of cardiac surgery patients were discharged to continuing care facilities, and this outcome was predictable from data available at admission. The strongest predictors of non-home discharge were intra-aortic balloon pumping, emergency status, older age, longer preoperative stays, poor nutritional state, a number of comorbidities and descending thoracic aorta procedures.
The authors suggested early identification of patients likely to be discharged to continuing care facilities could help hospitals streamline discharge planning, shorten patients' hospital length of stay and decrease use of resources.
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Researchers analyzed the discharge patterns and preoperative data of cardiac surgery patients at Cleveland Clinic from Oct. 2008 to Dec. 2009. They then validated this model on patients discharged from Dec. 2009 to July 2010.
Eighteen percent of cardiac surgery patients were discharged to continuing care facilities, and this outcome was predictable from data available at admission. The strongest predictors of non-home discharge were intra-aortic balloon pumping, emergency status, older age, longer preoperative stays, poor nutritional state, a number of comorbidities and descending thoracic aorta procedures.
The authors suggested early identification of patients likely to be discharged to continuing care facilities could help hospitals streamline discharge planning, shorten patients' hospital length of stay and decrease use of resources.
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