title: Health-related quality of life predicts unplanned rehospitalization following coronary revascularization.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Health-related quality of life (HRQL) is an increasingly well-recognized measure of health outcome in cardiology. We examined HRQL as a predictor of unplanned rehospitalization for cardiac reasons in patients after coronary revascularization over a period of 3 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  Out of 791 patients enrolled in the study, 743 completed the MacNew HRQL questionnaire after coronary revascularization. MacNew HRQL scores were used as predictors of unplanned rehospitalization.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Within the 3-year follow-up period, 125 patients (16.8 %) were rehospitalized. After adjustment for age, gender, and myocardial infarction as the initiating event, there were significant differences in unplanned rehospitalization rates between patients with low or moderate vs. high MacNew HRQL global scores (HR: 1.8, 95 % CI: 1.2-2.7) and both physical (HR: 2.2, 95 % CI: 1.4-3.5) and social (HR: 1.8, 95 % CI: 1.2-2.7) subscale scores.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Poor HRQL assessed after coronary revascularization appears to be a powerful predictor of rehospitalization over a 3-year period.
authors.affiliation: Department of Interventional Cardiology, Cardiac Disease Management Centre, Academic Hospital Feldkirch, Carinagasse 47, 6800, Feldkirch, Austria. wbenzer@cable.vol.at.|Reha Sports Institute, Feldkirch, Austria. wbenzer@cable.vol.at.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Benzer
authors.affiliation: Reha Sports Institute, Feldkirch, Austria.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Philippi
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Psychology, Innsbruck Medical University, Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hoefer
authors.affiliation: Karl Landsteiner Institute for Scientific Research in Clinical Cardiology, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Friedrich
authors.affiliation: College of Health Sciences, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Oldridge
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010359:Patient Readmission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D062645:Percutaneous Coronary Intervention / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015995:Prevalence; D011379:Prognosis; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Coronary artery disease; Health-related quality of life; Prognosis; Rehospitalization; Revascularization