30-day-readmission-rate-for-selected-conditions

INDICATOR NAME

Name

Patients Readmitted to Hospital

Alternate Name

Hospital Readmission rate within 30 days of discharge after hospitalization for selected conditions

INDICATOR DESCRIPTION

Description

Rate of unplanned hospital readmission within 30 days of discharge after hospitalization for any of the following conditions: pneumonia, diabetes, stroke, gastrointestinal disease, congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart attack and other cardiac conditions (selected HBAM Inpatient Grouper (HIG) conditions). Readmission of patients depends on care received in the hospital, as well as what happens after the patient is discharged.

HQO Reporting tool/product

Public reporting

Dimension

Effective

Type

Outcome

DEFINITION AND SOURCE INFORMATION

Unit of Measurement

Rate per 100 discharges

Calculation Methods

Numerator divided by the denominator times 100

Numerator (short description i.e. not inclusions/exclusions)

Number of subsequent non-elective (all-cause) readmissions to an acute care hospital within 30 days of discharge after hospitalization for any of the following conditions: pneumonia, diabetes, stroke, gastrointestinal disease, congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart attack and other cardiac conditions (selected HBAM Inpatient Grouper (HIG) conditions).

Denominator (short description i.e. not inclusions/exclusions)

Total number of hospital discharges after hospitalization for any of the following conditions: pneumonia, diabetes, stroke, gastrointestinal disease, congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart attack and other cardiac conditions (selected HBAM Inpatient Grouper (HIG) conditions).

Adjustment (risk, age/sex standardization)- generalized

Risk adjusted

Data Source

Discharge Abstract Database (DAD)

Data provided to HQO by

Ministry of Health

Reported Levels of comparability /stratifications (defined)

Income, Region, Rurality, Sex, Time

OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION

Caveats and Limitations

Not all readmissions are avoidable and this indicator does not capture which readmissions were avoidable and the underlying reasons (e.g. condition aggravation, poor transition, lack of community support/care). Due to age restrictions for some conditions the results are not reported by age groups. The indicator captures hospital readmission only and does not capture return visits to the emergency department. Results for calendar years 2020 - 2022 should be interpreted with caution as the COVID-19 pandemic may have affected the number of hospital admissions and readmissions. We noted reductions in numbers for both numerators and denominators in the 2020 - 2022 data (readmissions and index admissions, respectively). However, the rate (the published data) was not impacted.

Comments Summary

Patients are included in the numerator and denominator if CAPE (Client Agency Program Enrollment) records show they are enrolled at the time of discharge for the index case.