Association Between Hospital Admission Risk Profile Score and Skilled Nursing or Acute Rehabilitation Facility Discharges in Hospitalized Older Adults.
To evaluate whether the Hospital Admission Risk Profile (HARP) score is associated with skilled nursing or acute rehabilitation facility discharge after an acute hospitalization.



Retrospective cohort study.



Inpatient unit of a rural academic medical center.



Hospitalized individuals aged 70 and older from October 1, 2013 to June 1, 2014.



Participant age at the time of admission, modified Folstein Mini-Mental State Examination score, and self-reported instrumental activities of daily living 2 weeks before admission were used to calculate HARP score. The primary predictor was HARP score, and the primary outcome was discharge disposition (home, facility, deceased). Multivariate analysis was used to evaluate the association between HARP score and discharge disposition, adjusting for age, sex, comorbidities, and length of stay.



Four hundred twenty-eight individuals admitted from home were screened and their HARP scores were categorized as low (n = 162, 37.8%), intermediate (n = 157, 36.7%), or high (n = 109, 25.5%). Participants with high HARP scores were significantly more likely to be discharged to a facility (55%) than those with low HARP scores (20%) (P < .001). After adjustment, participants with high HARP scores were more than four times as likely as those with low scores to be discharged to a facility (odds ratio = 4.58, 95% confidence interval = 2.42-8.66).



In a population of older hospitalized adults, HARP score (using readily available admission information) identifies individuals at greater risk of skilled nursing or acute rehabilitation facility discharge. Early identification for potential facility discharges may allow for targeted interventions to prevent functional decline, improve informed shared decision-making about post-acute care needs, and expedite discharge planning.
Section of General Internal Medicine, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, New Hampshire. stephen.k.liu@hitchcock.org.
Stephen K
SK
Liu
Section of General Internal Medicine, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, New Hampshire.
Justin
J
Montgomery
Section of General Internal Medicine, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, New Hampshire.
Yu
Y
Yan
Section of Rheumatology, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, New Hampshire.
John N
JN
Mecchella
Department of Psychiatry, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire.|Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, Centers for Health and Aging, Dartmouth College, Lebanon, New Hampshire.
Stephen J
SJ
Bartels
Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire.
Rebecca
R
Masutani
Section of General Internal Medicine, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, New Hampshire.
John A
JA
Batsis
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007361:Intelligence Tests; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D020380:Needs Assessment; D009513:New Hampshire / Q000453:epidemiology; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010351:Patient Discharge; D012047:Rehabilitation Centers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012107:Research Design; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods; D012307:Risk Factors; D012866:Skilled Nursing Facilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019467:Subacute Care / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards
Hospital Admission Risk Profile; discharge disposition; hospitalization; skilled nursing facility