Factors associated with patients who leave acute-care hospitals against medical advice.
OBJECTIVE
We examined hospital- and patient-related factors associated with discharge against medical advice (termed self-discharge) after emergency admission to acute-care hospitals.


METHODS
We analyzed data from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project using logistic regression models to assess the relationship between self-discharge and a set of patient and hospital characteristics.


RESULTS
Of 3,039,050 discharges in the sample, 43 678 were against medical advice (1.44%). In multivariable modeling, predictors of self-discharge included having Medicaid insurance (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]=3.32; 95% confidence interval [CI]=3.22, 3.42), having Medicare insurance (AOR=1.64; 95% CI=1.59, 1.70), urban location (AOR=1.66; 95% CI=1.61, 1.72), medium (AOR=1.25; 95% CI=1.20, 1.29) or large (AOR=1.08, 95% CI=1.05, 1.12) hospital (defined by the number of beds), shorter hospital stay (OR=0.84; 95% CI=0.84, 0.85), and African American race (AOR=1.10; 95% CI=1.07, 1.14). Teaching hospitals had fewer self-discharges (AOR=0.90; 95% CI=0.88, 0.92). Other predictors of discharge against medical advice included age, gender, and income.


CONCLUSIONS
Approximately 1 in 70 hospital discharges in the United States are against medical advice. Both hospital and patient characteristics were associated with these decisions.
Ibrahim
Said A
SA
Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion, Veterans Administration Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, Pa 15240, USA. said.ibrahim2@va.gov
Kwoh
C Kent
CK
Krishnan
Eswar
E
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010351:Patient Discharge; D012307:Risk Factors; D016312:Treatment Refusal / Q000208:ethnology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014481:United States