Readmissões hospitalares pelo Sistema Único de Saúde no Rio de Janeiro: um estudo exploratório

Abstract

The hospital readmission rate is often proposed as an indicator of quality because it is related to the outcome of the patient and organizational efficiency. It is defined as the repeated hospitalization of a patient, after discharge from hospital. The identification of the behavior of hospital readmissions is valuable information for interventions to reduce the frequency of these events as well as the reduction of negative impact on quality of life of patients and their families. In addition, knowledge of the factors relating to the hospitals associated with readmissions may serve as an aid for the improvement of hospital care and the elimination of unnecessary costs to the health system. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the hospital readmissions paid by SUS on a Brazilian capital, through exploratory research. The data concerning hospital admissions and readmissions were obtained from the Hospital Admission Authorization (AIH) of the hospital information system of SUS (SIH-SUS) of the municipality of Rio de Janeiro for the year 2015. The readmissions were identified deterministically with the use of the CNS (Cartão Nacional de Saúde – National Health Card) identification. 331.067 records were analyzed, the adjusted rate of hospital readmission for the municipality was 11.6%. The readmissions occurred more frequently in up to seven days after the initial hospitalization, in women of 20 to 29 years. The main diagnosis for obstetric causes presented high proportion, followed by patients with cancer. However, some diagnoses and procedures performed suggested the occurrence of adverse events, indicating that the readmissions may be associated with problems in patient safety and quality of care. It is concluded that this is the field that should be explored in order to ensure the provision of safe, effective care and quality.