Thirty-day readmissions are an indicator of quality in several medical fields, including spine, and a new article in the Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine examines the factors associated with 30-day readmission rate after spine surgery.
The researchers reviewed 1,136 records published from 1947 to 2014 showing 31 potentially eligible studies; five studies met the inclusion criteria for content and quality. The review included several databases and journals, with a Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology review and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis guidelines applied.
The researchers found:
1. Readmission rates varied from 2.54 percent to 14.7 percent.
2. Sequela traced back to complications that arose during neurosurgery of the spine was the primary reason for a readmission.
3. The factors associated with heightened 30-day readmission risk were older age, poor physical status and comorbid illness.
4. Medicare reports 30-day readmissions cost United States hospitals more than $4.3 billion annually. Typically the patients are 62 years or older, according to a Piper Report article.
5. The researchers concluded, "Strategies to reduce readmission that relate to patient-centered factors, complication avoidance during neurosurgery, standardized with systemwide protocols, and moving toward a culture of nonpunitive systemwide error and 'near miss' investigations and quality improvement are discussed."