People living with dementia are at increased risk of multiple hospital admissions, this may be due to: acute illness, underlying vulnerability, progression of symptoms, or breakdown of care provision.
Reducing hospital readmissions is an important priority for the NHS. As part of her PhD research, Dr Bria Browne investigated the factors that may increase the likelihood of older adults with dementia returning to hospital after being discharged.
The study used linked electronic health records from general practice and hospitals in England, to investigate factors associated with hospital readmissions within 180 days, and to estimate the mortality risk of older adults with dementia within one year of hospital admission.
The findings suggest that biological, psychological, and social factors interact to influence hospital readmissions in older adults with dementia. Multiple long-term conditions emerged as the strongest determining factors for readmission, while factors associated with survival included age and living in residential care.
These findings highlight the importance of providing coordinated, community-based healthcare for adults with dementia.
Strengthening care outside of hospital could help reduce the need for repeat hospital admissions and improve outcomes for patients and their families.
The paper, Identifying the determinants of hospital readmission in dementia patients: A retrospective cohort study using electronic healthcare records in England, has been published in PLOS One.





