Identifying Adverse Events After Discharge From a Community Hospital

Study Summary

The purpose of this study is to: -Determine the incidence of adverse events, preventable adverse events, and ameliorable adverse events, and the timeliness of post-discharge ambulatory appointments, affecting urban and rural patients approximately 3-4 weeks after discharge from a hospitalist-run medical service of a large community hospital to home. H1: The incidence of post-discharge adverse events will be higher in rural patients compared with urban patients discharged from a hospitalist-run medical service of a large community hospital. -Identify and classify the types of post-discharge adverse events (e.g., adverse drug events, procedure-related events, hospital acquired (nosocomial) infections, falls, and other) affecting urban and rural patients approximately 3-4 weeks after discharge from a hospitalist-run medical service of a large community hospital to home. H2: All patients will be at higher risk for adverse drug events than other types of adverse events. -Examine the relationships between the population at risk, characteristics of the health care delivery system, and the utilization of post-discharge health services, and how these relationships help us understand the incidence of post-discharge adverse events. H3: Several factors will be independently associated with the incidence of post-discharge adverse events in rural and urban patients, including patient comorbidity, severity of acute illness, presence of a primary care physician prior to hospitalization, and a scheduled timely post-discharge ambulatory follow-up appointment.