Hospital Readmission Rates and Emergency Department Visits for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Conditions

Community hospital stays in 12 states during 2008–2009 were analyzed to determine predictors of 12-month hospital readmission and emergency department (EDs) revisits among persons with a mental health or substance abuse diagnosis. Probabilities of hospital readmission and of ED revisits were modeled as functions of patient demographics, insurance type, number of prior-year hospital stays, diagnoses and other characteristics of the initial stay, and hospital characteristics. Alcohol or drug dependence, dementias, psychotic disorders, autism, impulse control disorders, and personality disorders were most strongly associated with future inpatient admission or ED revisits within 12 months of initial encounter. Insurance type, including uninsured status, were highly significant ( p < .01) predictors of both readmission and ED revisits.