Hospitalization risk factors of older cohorts of home health care patients: A systematic review. Issue 3 (3rd July 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Bick, Irene; Dowding, Dawn
• Is Part Of: Home health care services quarterly. Volume 38:Issue 3(2019)
• Page Start: 111
• Page End: 152
• Publication Date: 2019-07-03
• Subjects: Home health care -- older people -- hospitalization -- rehospitalization -- readmission -- risk factors; Home care services -- Periodicals; Home care services -- United States -- Periodicals; Home Care Services -- Periodicals; 362.14
• DOI: 10.1080/01621424.2019.1616026
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0162-1424

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Nearly one million Medicare home health care beneficiaries are hospitalized annually of which one-quarter are considered preventable. Older hospitalized patients are at risk for nosocomial complications and poorer outcomes and incur higher health care costs. This paper reports the results of a systematic review of 28 studies on hospitalization risk factors of older home health care patients. It found that males, Blacks, and non-Asian minorities are at greater hospitalization risk. Factors associated with higher risk included skin ulcers, psychiatric conditions, dyspnea/COPD, cardiovascular conditions, diabetes, functional deficits, more comorbidities, and higher medication usage. These findings can inform practice, research, and policy.