Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30530782›Full record

ArticleBMJ (Clinical research ed.)2018

Death and readmissions after hospital discharge during the December holiday period: cohort study.

Lauren Lapointe-Shaw, Peter C Austin, Noah M Ivers, Jin Luo, Donald A Redelmeier, Chaim M Bell

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ (Clinical research ed.), 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 13 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
13citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

13 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Lauren Lapointe-ShawToronto General Hospital, 14 EN room 216, 200 Elizabeth St, Toronto, ON, M5G 2C4, Canada lauren.lapointe.shaw@mail.utoronto.ca.
Peter C AustinICES, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Noah M IversWomen's College Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Jin LuoICES, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Donald A RedelmeierICES, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Chaim M BellSinai Health System, Toronto, ON, Canada.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo determine whether patients discharged from hospital during the December holiday period have fewer outpatient follow-ups and higher rates of death or readmission than patients discharged at other times.

designPopulation based retrospective cohort study.

settingAcute care hospitals in Ontario, Canada, 1 April 2002 to 31 January 2016.

participants217 305 children and adults discharged home after an urgent admission, during the two week December holiday period, compared with 453 641 children and adults discharged during two control periods in late November and January.

main outcome measuresThe primary outcome was death or readmission, defined as a visit to an emergency department or urgent rehospitalisation, within 30 days. Secondary outcomes were death or readmission and outpatient follow-up with a physician within seven and 14 days after discharge. Multivariable logistic regression with generalised estimating equations was used to adjust for characteristics of patients, admissions, and hospital.

results217 305 (32.4%) patients discharged during the holiday period and 453 641 (67.6%) discharged during control periods had similar baseline characteristics and previous healthcare utilisation. Patients who were discharged during the holiday period were less likely to have follow-up with a physician within seven days (36.3%

conclusionsPatients discharged from hospital during the December holiday period are less likely to have prompt outpatient follow-up and are at higher risk of death or readmission within 30 days.

Indexed as

HolidaysSeasonsAdolescentAdultAgedAmbulatory CareEmergency Service, HospitalFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedMortalityOntarioPatient Acceptance of Health CarePatient ReadmissionRetrospective Studies

Identifiers

PMID30530782
PMCPMC6287120

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.