Factors associated with one-year mortality after hospital discharge: A multicenter prospective cohort study

• Published in: PloS one 2023-08, Vol.18 (8), p.e0288842-e0288842
• Main Authors: Liechti, Fabian D, Bütikofer, Lukas, Mancinetti, Marco, Leuppi, Joerg D, Genné, Daniel, John, Gregor, Donzé, Jacques D
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Activities of daily living; Admission and discharge; Analysis; Biology and Life Sciences; Cohort analysis; Electronic health records; Electronic medical records; Electronic records; Emergency medical care; Evaluation; Geriatrics; Health care; Hemoglobin; Hospitalization; Hospitals; Internal medicine; Length of stay; Medical records; Medical research; Medicine and Health Sciences; Medicine, Experimental; Missing data; Mortality; Nursing homes; Observational studies; Patient satisfaction; Patients; People and Places; Physical Sciences; Regression analysis; Research and Analysis Methods; Research ethics; Social Sciences; Software; Switzerland; Variables
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0288842

1) To identify predictors of one-year mortality in hospitalized medical patients using factors available during their hospital stay. 2) To evaluate whether healthcare system use within 30 days of hospital discharge is associated with one-year mortality. This prospective, observational study included adult patients from four mid-sized hospital general internal medicine units. During index hospitalization, we retrieved patient characteristics, including demographic and socioeconomic indicators, diagnoses, and early simplified HOSPITAL scores from electronic health records and patient interviews. Data on healthcare system use was collected using telephone interviews 30 days after discharge. Survival status at one year was collected by telephone and from health records. We used a univariable analysis including variables available from the hospitalization and 30-day post-discharge periods. We then performed multivariable analyses with one model using index hospitalization data and one using 30-day post-discharge data. Of 934 patients, 123 (13.2%; 95% CI 11.0-15.4%) were readmitted or died within 30 days. Of 814 patients whose primary outcome was available, 108 died (13.3%) within one year. Using factors obtained during hospitalization, the early simplified HOSPITAL score (OR 1.50; 95% CI 1.31-1.71; P < 0.001) and not living at home (OR 4.0; 95% CI 1.8-8.3; P < 0.001) were predictors of one-year mortality. Using 30-day post-discharge predictors, hospital readmission was significantly associated with one-year mortality (OR 4.81; 95% CI 2.77-8.33; P < 0.001). Factors predicting one-year mortality were a high early simplified HOSPITAL score, not living at home, and a 30-day unplanned readmission.