The number of emergency department visits and readmissions following six inpatient procedures varies significantly among hospitals and procedures, according to a study in Health Affairs.
Researchers used CMS' Outpatient and Carrier Standard Analytical Files and Medicare Provider Analysis and Review Files for 2005 to 2007 to determine Medicare patients' ED visits and readmissions 30 days after six common inpatient surgeries. The six procedures include percutaneous coronary intervention, coronary artery bypass grafting, elective abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, back surgery, hip fracture repair and colectomy.
Here are 35 statistics on ED use and readmissions within 30 days post-discharge for these six procedures, based on more than 2.3 million patients at 4,536 hospitals:
Percent of patients with at least one ED visit
Overall: 17.3 percent
CABG: 22.4 percent
PCI: 17.9 percent
Hip fracture repair: 17.4 percent
EAAAR: 15.8 percent
Colectomy: 15 percent
Back surgery: 12.2 percent
Percent of patients with multiple ED visits
Overall: 4.4 percent
CABG: 6.1 percent
PCI: 4.7 percent
Hip fracture repair: 4.3 percent
EAAAR: 3.9 percent
Colectomy: 3.6 percent
Back surgery: 2.9 percent
Percent of patients readmitted
Overall: 14.4 percent
CABG: 18 percent
PCI: 15.9 percent
Hip fracture repair: 13.7 percent
Colectomy: 12.6 percent
EAAAR: 12.2 percent
Back surgery: 10.1 percent
Percent of readmissions that came from the ED
Overall: 56.5 percent
Colectomy: 61.3 percent
CABG: 61 percent
Hip fracture repair: 60.9 percent
EAAAR: 57.1 percent
PCI: 53.1 percent
Back surgery: 47.1 percent
Three most frequent diagnoses related to ED visit with readmission, beginning with the most frequent
Overall: Cardiovascular or respiratory, infection, procedural site complications
Back surgery: Cardiovascular or respiratory, procedural site complications, infection
CABG: Cardiovascular or respiratory, procedural site complications, infection
Colectomy: Procedural site complications, cardiovascular or respiratory, abdominal or gastrointestinal
EAAAR: Cardiovascular or respiratory, procedural site complications, abdominal or gastrointestinal
Hip fracture repair: Cardiovascular or respiratory, infection, generalized symptoms
PCI: Cardiovascular or respiratory, abdominal or gastrointestinal, generalized symptoms
More Articles on Readmissions and ED Visits:
Study: ED Visits Post-Discharge Vary Nearly Twofold Across Hospitals
4 Ways ED Care Managers Can Facilitate Care Transitions
Study: Return ED Visits Account for Half of Patient Returns to Acute-Level Care