title: Readmission within 1 month of discharge among patients with acute ischemic stroke: results of the University HealthSystem Consortium Stroke Benchmarking study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The University HealthSystem Consortium (UHC) recently conducted a benchmarking project to identify variations in processes of care and clinical resource management, identify new patterns in practice, and distinguish opportunities for improvement among UHC hospitals.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed this analysis to determine the rate of and factors associated with readmission within 1 month of discharge among patients with acute ischemic stroke. A retrospective review of 40 consecutive ischemic stroke cases meeting inclusion criteria and discharge between January 1st and June 30th, 2004 was conducted in 32 hospitals. We performed a multivariate analysis to identify demographic and clinical factors associated with readmission among patients with ischemic stroke.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 1018 patients (mean age 66 years, range 18-98 years), who were discharged from the hospital and had follow-up available, were analyzed. A total of 90 (9%) of these patients were readmitted within 1 month of discharge. Common reasons for readmission were recurrent stroke (24%), infection (12%), chest pain or myocardial infarction (10%), worsening of stroke symptoms (7%), arrhythmias (7%), and congestive heart failure (3%). In univariate analysis, older patients (P = 0.03) and those discharged home without health care were more likely to be readmitted (P = 0.04). In the multivariate analysis, age was the only predictor for readmission. For each decade older age, there was a 19% increase in odds of readmission. Patient's race/ethnicity, presence of cardiovascular risk factors, and severity of stroke, insurance status, neurology consultation, discharge destination were not associated with readmission.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the present multicenter study, 9% of the discharged patients with ischemic stroke were readmitted within a 1 month. Several etiologies for readmission were identified to assist in implementing quality improvement strategies.
authors.affiliation: Zeenat Qureshi Stroke Research Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
authors.forename: M Fareed K
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Suri
authors.affiliation: Zeenat Qureshi Stroke Research Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
authors.forename: Adnan I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Qureshi