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Jayakody A, Passmore E, Oldmeadow C, Bryant J, Carey M, Simons E, Cashmore A, Maher L, Hennessey K, Bunfield J, Terare M, Milat A, Sanson-Fisher R. The impact of telephone follow up on adverse events for Aboriginal people with chronic disease in new South Wales, Australia: a retrospective cohort study. Int J Equity Health 2018; 17:60. [PMID: 29776360 PMCID: PMC5960116 DOI: 10.1186/s12939-018-0776-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2017] [Accepted: 05/08/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chronic diseases are more prevalent and occur at a much younger age in Aboriginal people in Australia compared with non-Aboriginal people. Aboriginal people also have higher rates of unplanned hospital readmissions and emergency department presentations. There is a paucity of research on the effectiveness of follow up programs after discharge from hospital in Aboriginal populations. This study aimed to assess the impact of a telephone follow up program, 48 Hour Follow Up, on rates of unplanned hospital readmissions, unplanned emergency department presentations and mortality within 28 days of discharge among Aboriginal people with chronic disease. METHODS A retrospective cohort of eligible Aboriginal people with chronic diseases was obtained through linkage of routinely-collected health datasets for the period May 2009 to December 2014. The primary outcome was unplanned hospital readmissions within 28 days of separation from any acute New South Wales public hospital. Secondary outcomes were mortality, unplanned emergency department presentations, and at least one adverse event (unplanned hospital readmission, unplanned emergency department presentation or mortality) within 28 days of separation. Logistic regression models were used to assess outcomes among Aboriginal patients who received 48 Hour Follow Up compared with eligible Aboriginal patients who did not receive 48 Hour Follow Up. RESULTS The final study cohort included 18,659 patients with 49,721 separations, of which 8469 separations (17.0, 95% confidence interval (CI): 16.7-17.4) were recorded as having received 48 Hour Follow Up. After adjusting for potential confounders, there were no significant differences in rates of unplanned readmission or mortality within 28 days between people who received or did not receive 48 Hour Follow Up. Conversely, the odds of an unplanned emergency department presentation (Odds ratio (OR) = 0.92; 95% CI: 0.85, 0.99; P = 0.0312) and at least one adverse event (OR = 0.91; 95% CI: 0.85,0.98; P = 0.0136) within 28 days were significantly lower for separations where the patient received 48 Hour Follow Up compared with those that did not receive follow up. CONCLUSIONS Receipt of 48 Hour Follow Up was associated with both a reduction in emergency department presentations and at least one adverse event within 28 days of discharge, suggesting there may be merit in providing post-discharge telephone follow up to Aboriginal people with chronic disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Jayakody
- Health Behaviour Research Collaborative, School of Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Health and Medicine, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia. .,Priority Research Centre for Health Behaviour, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, 2308, NSW, Australia. .,Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton Heights, 2305, NSW, Australia. .,Evidence and Evaluation, Centre for Epidemiology and Evidence, NSW Ministry of Health LMB 961, North Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2059, Australia.
| | - Erin Passmore
- Evidence and Evaluation, Centre for Epidemiology and Evidence, NSW Ministry of Health LMB 961, North Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2059, Australia
| | - Christopher Oldmeadow
- School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia.,CREDITSS-Clinical Research Design, Information Technology and Statistical Support Unit, Hunter Medical Research Institute, HMRI Building, New Lambton Heights, 2305, NSW, Australia
| | - Jamie Bryant
- Health Behaviour Research Collaborative, School of Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Health and Medicine, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia.,Priority Research Centre for Health Behaviour, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, 2308, NSW, Australia.,Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton Heights, 2305, NSW, Australia
| | - Mariko Carey
- Health Behaviour Research Collaborative, School of Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Health and Medicine, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia.,Priority Research Centre for Health Behaviour, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, 2308, NSW, Australia.,Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton Heights, 2305, NSW, Australia
| | - Eunice Simons
- NSW Agency for Clinical Innovation, Level 4, Sage Building, 67 Albert Ave, Chatswood, Sydney, NSW, 2067, Australia
| | - Aaron Cashmore
- Evidence and Evaluation, Centre for Epidemiology and Evidence, NSW Ministry of Health LMB 961, North Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2059, Australia.,School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of NSW, Sydney, 2033, Australia
| | - Louise Maher
- Evidence and Evaluation, Centre for Epidemiology and Evidence, NSW Ministry of Health LMB 961, North Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2059, Australia
| | - Kiel Hennessey
- NSW Agency for Clinical Innovation, Level 4, Sage Building, 67 Albert Ave, Chatswood, Sydney, NSW, 2067, Australia
| | - Jacinta Bunfield
- Centre for Aboriginal Health, NSW Ministry of Health LMB 961, North Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2059, Australia
| | - Maurice Terare
- Centre for Aboriginal Health, NSW Ministry of Health LMB 961, North Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2059, Australia
| | - Andrew Milat
- Evidence and Evaluation, Centre for Epidemiology and Evidence, NSW Ministry of Health LMB 961, North Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2059, Australia.,Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Edward Ford Building A27, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - Rob Sanson-Fisher
- Health Behaviour Research Collaborative, School of Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Health and Medicine, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia.,Priority Research Centre for Health Behaviour, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, 2308, NSW, Australia.,Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton Heights, 2305, NSW, Australia
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