Medicaid and Age Extremes Are Risk Factors for Readmission for Diverticulitis: A Retrospective Review of a Large Hospital System
Gary Jain, Daniel Ricaurte, Lindsay Lynch, Quian Callender, Rocco Orlando, Jonathan D. Gates, Oscar Serrano, Jane Keating
Hartford Hospital, Hartford, Connecticut, United States
Objective: We hypothesized that the readmission rate of our patients with diverticulitis may vary dependent on age, race, ethnicity, and insurance type.
Design: Retrospective cohort review
Setting: Five hospitals within a state-wide academic hospital system
Patients: All adult patients treated for diverticulitis in the emergency room or inpatient hospital setting from October 1, 2018 to September 30, 2020 were included. A total of 4,121 patients were included, and the age, sex, race, ethnicity, insurance type, and rate of readmission were collected.
Main Outcomes Measures: We studied the association of age, race, ethnicity, and insurance type on the rate of readmission for diverticulitis. Each variable was evaluated against readmission rate using a chi-square test.
Results: 4,121 patients were included. 55% of patients were female. 63% of patients had Medicare, 23% had commercial insurance, 12% had Medicaid, and 2% were self-pay. There were a total of 531 readmissions. Patients with Medicaid and patients at the extremes of the age in this study (< 30 years of age and > 90 years of age) had an increased risk of readmission (p-value < 0.05). Additionally, there was no significant difference in readmission rate based on race or ethnicity.
Conclusions: Healthcare workers should be aware of the higher risk of readmission for diverticulitis among the elderly, patients <30 years of age, and those with Medicaid. Further research should be conducted to understand the reasons behind these findings.
Back to 2021 Posters