BACKGROUND: Rehospitalization occurs in approximately 20% of medical inpatients within 90 days of discharge. Rehospitalization accounts for considerable morbidity, mortality, and costs. Identification of risk factors could lead to interventions to reduce rehospitalization. The objective of the study was to determine if physical and mental health, @entity734 , and social support are risk factors for rehospitalization. METHOD: This was a prospective cohort study in an innercity population conducted from September 2002 to September 2004. @entity1 included 144 adult inpatients with at least 1 hospital admission in the past 6 months. Measurements included age, length of stay, number of admissions in the past year, and medical comorbidity as well as measures of @entity308 , @entity167 and @entity734 , social support, and health-related quality of life. The outcome studied was the rehospitalization status of @entity1 within 90 days of the index hospitalization. RESULTS: The mean age of the subjects was 54.8 years; 48% were black and 78% spoke English as a primary language. Subjects were admitted a mean of 2.5 times in the year before the index admission. Sixty-four @entity1 (44%) were subsequently rehospitalized within 90 days after the index admission. In bivariate analysis, rehospitalized @entity1 had more prior admissions (median of 3.0 vs. 2.0 admissions, p = .002), greater medical comorbidity (mean Charlson Comorbidity Index score of 2.6 vs. 2.0, p = .04), and poorer physical functional status (mean SF-12 physical component score of 31.5 vs. 36.2, p = .03). A logistic regression model, including prior admissions in the last year, comorbidity, physical functional status, and @entity308 , showed that @entity308 tripled the odds of rehospitalization (odds ratio = 3.3, 95% CI = 1.2 to 9.3). This model had fair accuracy in identifying @entity1 at greatest risk for rehospitalization (c statistic = 0.72). CONCLUSIONS: Hospitalized @entity1 with a history of prior hospitalization within 6 months who screen positive for @entity308 are 3 times more likely to be rehospitalized within 90 days in this relatively high-risk population. Screening during hospitalization for @entity308 may identify those at risk for rehospitalization.

XXXX is a risk factor for rehospitalization in medical inpatients.

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['participants', 'patients', 'Participants'] @entity167 :: ('CHEBI:16236', 'Chemical') :: ['alcohol'] @entity308 :: ('MESH:D003866', 'Disease') :: ['depressive symptoms', 'depression'] @entity734 :: ('MESH:D019966', 'Disease') :: ['drug abuse', 'substance abuse']
@entity308 :: (MESH:D003866,Disease) :: ['Depression']
