Hospital Readmissions Among Veterans Within 90 Days of Discharge Following Initial Hospitalization for COVID-19
ORIGINAL RESEARCH — Volume 19 — December 1, 2022
PEER REVIEWED
Figure 1. Number and percentage of US veterans (N = 17,771) hospitalized for a diagnosis of COVID-19 who were readmitted to hospital within 90 days of discharge following their initial hospitalization, by number of days between discharge and readmission, March 1–December 31, 2020.
Days to readmission | No. readmitted | Cumulative no. | Percentage readmitted |
---|---|---|---|
2 | 191 | 191 | 1.08 |
3 | 165 | 356 | 2.00 |
4 | 168 | 524 | 2.95 |
5 | 117 | 641 | 3.61 |
6 | 109 | 750 | 4.22 |
7 | 112 | 862 | 4.85 |
8 | 92 | 954 | 5.37 |
9 | 83 | 1,037 | 5.84 |
10 | 84 | 1,121 | 6.31 |
11 | 89 | 1,210 | 6.81 |
12 | 74 | 1,284 | 7.23 |
13 | 78 | 1,362 | 7.66 |
14 | 63 | 1,425 | 8.02 |
15 | 58 | 1,483 | 8.35 |
16 | 64 | 1,547 | 8.71 |
17 | 50 | 1,597 | 8.99 |
18 | 58 | 1,655 | 9.31 |
19 | 39 | 1,694 | 9.53 |
20 | 60 | 1,754 | 9.87 |
21 | 47 | 1,801 | 10.14 |
22 | 50 | 1,851 | 10.42 |
23 | 43 | 1,894 | 10.66 |
24 | 39 | 1,933 | 10.88 |
25 | 28 | 1,961 | 11.03 |
26 | 36 | 1,997 | 11.24 |
27 | 35 | 2,032 | 11.43 |
28 | 27 | 2,059 | 11.59 |
29 | 22 | 2,081 | 11.71 |
30 | 16 | 2,097 | 11.80 |
31 | 15 | 2,112 | 11.88 |
32 | 31 | 2,143 | 12.06 |
33 | 30 | 2,173 | 12.23 |
34 | 30 | 2,203 | 12.40 |
35 | 20 | 2,223 | 12.51 |
36 | 12 | 2,235 | 12.58 |
37 | 15 | 2,250 | 12.66 |
38 | 16 | 2,266 | 12.75 |
39 | 20 | 2,286 | 12.86 |
40 | 15 | 2,301 | 12.95 |
41 | 17 | 2,318 | 13.04 |
42 | 24 | 2,342 | 13.18 |
43 | 10 | 2,352 | 13.24 |
44 | 7 | 2,359 | 13.27 |
45 | 20 | 2,379 | 13.39 |
46 | 13 | 2,392 | 13.46 |
47 | 14 | 2,406 | 13.53 |
48 | 14 | 2,420 | 13.61 |
49 | 13 | 2,433 | 13.69 |
50 | 9 | 2,442 | 13.74 |
51 | 5 | 2,447 | 13.77 |
52 | 8 | 2,455 | 13.82 |
53 | 11 | 2,466 | 13.88 |
54 | 8 | 2,474 | 13.92 |
55 | 11 | 2,485 | 13.98 |
56 | 7 | 2,492 | 14.02 |
57 | 12 | 2,504 | 14.09 |
58 | 12 | 2,516 | 14.16 |
59 | 15 | 2,531 | 14.24 |
60 | 8 | 2,539 | 14.29 |
61 | 4 | 2,543 | 14.31 |
62 | 4 | 2,547 | 14.33 |
63 | 11 | 2,558 | 14.39 |
64 | 10 | 2,568 | 14.45 |
65 | 10 | 2,578 | 14.51 |
66 | 7 | 2,585 | 14.55 |
67 | 10 | 2,595 | 14.60 |
68 | 2 | 2,597 | 14.61 |
69 | 10 | 2,607 | 14.67 |
70 | 9 | 2,616 | 14.72 |
71 | 7 | 2,623 | 14.76 |
72 | 8 | 2,631 | 14.81 |
73 | 9 | 2,640 | 14.86 |
74 | 7 | 2,647 | 1490 |
75 | 7 | 2,654 | 14.93 |
76 | 10 | 2,664 | 14.99 |
77 | 13 | 2,677 | 15.06 |
78 | 10 | 2,687 | 15.12 |
79 | 10 | 2,697 | 15.18 |
80 | 8 | 2,705 | 15.22 |
81 | 4 | 2,709 | 15.24 |
82 | 7 | 2,716 | 15.28 |
83 | 9 | 2,725 | 15.33 |
84 | 9 | 2,734 | 15.39 |
85 | 8 | 2,742 | 15.43 |
86 | 5 | 2,747 | 15.46 |
87 | 6 | 2,753 | 15.49 |
88 | 2 | 2,755 | 15.50 |
89 | 6 | 2,761 | 15.54 |
90 | 3 | 2,764 | 15.55 |
Figure 2. Logistic regression model showing estimated odds of readmission to a Veterans Administration hospital among US veterans (N = 17,771) hospitalized for a diagnosis of COVID-19 who were readmitted to hospital within 90 days of discharge following their initial hospitalization, March 1– December 31, 2020. The Elixhauser score ranges from –0.4 to 15.8 by using the Moore et al method (19) scaled down by 10. Odds ratio and associated 95% CIs for estimated coefficients are represented by points and bars, respectively, and by patient characteristics. Abbreviations: AMA, against medical advice; LTC, long-term care.
Patient characteristic | Estimated OR (95% CI) |
---|---|
Age | 1.00 (1.00–1.01) |
Sex | |
Male | Reference |
Female | 0.98 (0.79–1.2) |
Race | |
White | Reference |
Black | 0.93 (0.84–1.03) |
Other listed races/unknown | 1.12 (0.9–1.38) |
Non-Hispanic/Latino | Reference |
Hispanic/Latino | 0.98 (0.83–1.15) |
Length of hospital stay | 1.05 (1.04–1.05) |
Ventilator | |
No | Reference |
Yes | 1.61 (1.38–1.87) |
Body mass index | 1 (0.99–1.01) |
Smoking status | |
Current smoker | Reference |
Former smoker | 0.78 (0.68–0.89) |
Never smoker | 0.69 (0.6–0.8) |
Unknown | 0.53 (0.43–0.65) |
Marital status | |
Married | Reference |
Single or unknown | 1.06 (0.97–1.16) |
Rurality | |
Urban | Reference |
Rural | 0.87 (0.78–0.97) |
Highly rural | 0.65 (0.48–0.87) |
Elixhauser score 10 points | 1.17 (1.16–1.19) |
Discharge disposition | |
Community | Reference |
Hospital or long-term care | 0.11 (0.09–0.13) |
Missing | 0.36 (0.24–0.53) |
Against medical advice | 1.58 (1.2–2.08) |
COVID-19 wave | |
Wave 1 | Reference |
Wave 2 | 1.14 (0.97–1.35) |
Wave 3 | 1.41 (1.21–1.64) |
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