Six-Month Post-Discharge Readmissions in Alberta’s Inpatient Psychiatric Facilities: Rates and Correlates
E. Owusu, W. Mao, R. Shalaby, H. E. Elgendy, B. Agyapong, E. Eboreime, M. A. Lawal, N. Nnamdi, P. Chue, A. J. Greenshaw, V. I. AgyapongIntroduction
Hospital readmission rates are increasingly used as indicators of quality of care in inpatient psychiatric services.
Objectives
This study aimed to determine the six-month readmission rate following discharge from adult inpatient psychiatric units and to identify factors associated with readmission.
Methods
Medical records of 1,070 adult inpatients were reviewed to assess demographic, clinical, and service-related factors linked to readmission within six months post-discharge. Multiple binary logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine predictors of readmission.
Results
Of the participants, 61.8% were Caucasian, 11.3% Asian, 10.8% Black, 9.2% Indigenous, and 6.9% Other. Most were female (54.8%), aged ≤25 years (36.7%), and had a high school diploma (51.8%). The six-month readmission rate was 23.1%. Patients with a prior admission within six months preceding the index admission were nearly twice as likely to be readmitted (OR = 1.76; 95% CI = 1.27–2.44) as those without prior admissions. Similarly, unemployment significantly increased the likelihood of readmission (OR = 1.69; 95% CI = 1.15–2.47).
Conclusions
The findings highlight prior psychiatric hospitalization and unemployment as significant predictors of early readmission. Efforts to reduce readmission rates should focus on strengthening post-discharge support and improving employment opportunities for psychiatric patients.
Disclosure of Interest
None Declared