Patient Care

Multifaceted Discharge Interventions Reduce Rates of Pediatric Readmission and Post-Hospital ED Utilization


 

Clinical question: Do interventions at discharge reduce the rate of readmissions and post-hospitalization ED visits among pediatric patients?

Background: Readmissions are a high-priority quality measure in both the adult and pediatric settings. Although a broadening body of literature is evaluating the impact of interventions on readmissions in adult populations, the literature does not contain a similar breadth of assessments of interventions in the pediatric setting.

Study design: Systematic review.

Setting: English-language articles studying pediatric inpatient discharge interventions.

Synopsis: A total of 1,296 unique articles were identified from PubMed and the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature. Additional articles were identified on review of references, yielding 14 articles that met inclusion criteria. Included studies evaluated the effect of pediatric discharge interventions on the primary outcomes of hospital readmission or post-hospitalization ED visits. Interventions focused on three main patient populations: asthma, cancer, and prematurity.

Six studies demonstrated statistically significant reductions in readmissions and/or ED visits, while two studies actually demonstrated an increase in post-discharge utilization. All successful interventions began in the inpatient setting and were multifaceted, with four of six studies including an educational component and a post-discharge follow-up component.

While all of the studies evaluated sought to enhance the transitional care from the inpatient to outpatient setting, only the interventions that included one responsible party (individual or team) with expertise in the medical condition providing oversight and support were successful in reducing the specified outcomes. A significant limitation was that many of the studies identified were not sufficiently powered to detect either outcome of interest.

Bottom line: A multifaceted intervention involving educational and post-discharge follow-up components with an experienced individual or team supporting the transition is associated with a reduction in hospital readmissions and post-discharge ED utilization.

Citation: Auger KA, Kenyon CC, Feudtner C, Davis MM. Pediatric hospital discharge interventions to reduce subsequent utilization: a systematic review [published online ahead of print December 20, 2013]. J Hosp Med.

Recommended Reading

Overdiagnosis in Pediatric Hospital Medicine Is Harming Children
The Hospitalist
Pediatric Hospital Medicine 2014 Conference Draws Record-Setting Crowd
The Hospitalist
Pediatric Hospital Medicine 2014: Clinical Competence for the Community Hospitalist
The Hospitalist
Pediatric Hospital Medicine 2014: Behavioral Emergencies: Stay Safe, Stay Calm
The Hospitalist
Pediatric Hospital Medicine 2014: Co-Management in Pediatric Hospital Medicine
The Hospitalist
Pediatric Hospital Medicine 2014: Negotiation 101
The Hospitalist
Pediatric Hospital Medicine 2014: Keynote Speakers Address Healthcare Reform, What Keeps Hospital CEO's Awake at Night
The Hospitalist
Pediatric Hospital Medicine 2014: Over-Diagnosis Is Harming Children
The Hospitalist
Pediatric Hospital Medicine 2014: Building Blocks in the Evolution of a Successful Distributed Hospitalist Program
The Hospitalist
Discounted Registration Available for Pediatric Hospital Medicine Conference
The Hospitalist
   Comments ()