Factors Associated with Readmission within 30 Days of Hospital Discharge of Psychiatric Patients: Case-Control Study

Abstract

Background: Readmission, defined as any admission after discharge from the same hospital, has negative implications for health outcomes. This study aims to identify the sociodemographic and clinical factors associated with hospital readmission among psychiatric patients.   

Methodology: This case-control study analyzed 202 clinical records of patients admitted to a psychiatric hospital between 2019–2021. The sample was selected using simple random sampling. Qualitative variables were presented using frequencies, percentages, and chi-square tests for association. Quantitative variables were described using central tendency measures and dispersion of data, investigated with the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, Student's t-test or Wilcoxon test as appropriate. Regression analysis was conducted to determine factors linked to readmission. p < 0.05 was considered.   

Results: Women accounted for a higher readmission rate (59%). Patients diagnosed with schizophrenia had a higher readmission rate (63%), experienced longer transfer times to the hospital during readmissions, and had shorter hospital stays. Polypharmacy and pharmacological interactions were associated with readmission. Olanzapine treatment was identified as a risk factor for readmission (ExpB = 3.203, 95% CI 1.405–7.306, p = 0.006).   

Conclusions: The findings suggest avoiding polypharmacy and medications with high side effect profiles to reduce readmissions. This study offers valuable insights for clinical decision-making from admission to discharge planning, aiming to enhance the quality of care.