Prediction of readmission of psychiatric inpatients.
Using demographic and episode-based variables this study attempted to predict which patients would require frequent psychiatric hospitalizations. Records of 943 patients were randomly selected from 14,649 admissions and examined for a 5-yr. period following initial admission. Sex, ethnicity, and age at first admission were not significantly related to readmission. Among the demographic variables, marriage was inversely related to readmission. Involuntary commitment and a longer length of stay at the original admission were associated with a higher rate of readmission. Despite the results being statistically significant, the small covariances of these effects indicate little clinical utility in the prediction of readmission for an individual patient.
Feigon
Sarah
S
University of Texas Houston Medical School, USA.
Hays
J Ray
JR
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011446:Prospective Studies