Karimi A¹ * (MSc), Mehdipour Y¹ (MSc), Dehghan J² (PhD), Erfannia l¹ (MSc), Alipour J¹ (MSc), Khammarnia M³ (MSc), Nori T¹ (BSc)

  ¹ Department of Health Information Technology, School of Paramedical Sciences,

  Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran

  ² Department of Community Medicine, School of Medicine, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran

  ³ Department of Public Health Education, School of Health, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran

  Received: 2 Jul 2012, Accepted: 14 Aug 2013

  Abstract

  Introduction: Readmission indicates partial treatment of patients except for follow-up treatments. This study aimed to determine the causes of patients’ readmissions in teaching hospitals at Zahedan University of Medical Sciences in 2010.

  Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 864 out of 2798 medical records of patients readmitted to the hospitals were randomly selected. Data were collected using a checklist included 16 items in five sections. Validity and reliability of the checklist were assessed. Data were analyzed using the descriptive statistics, Fisher exact test, and Chi-squared test.

  Results: From all readmitted patients, 52.3% were females. Follow-up treatment was mentioned as the main cause of patients’ readmissions (46.5%). Recurrence of disease (20.3%), disease complications (14.5%), other diseases (10.4%), partial treatment (7.1%), postoperative complications (1%), and medical procedure complications (0.2%) were other causes of readmissions.

  Conclusion: This study showed that 56.9% of the causes of patients' readmissions were inevitable and 43.1% of them were evitable. Some proper measurements to decrease patients' readmissions are equipping hospitals with adequate facilities for outpatient surgeries, performing non-invasive surgeries, improving outpatient clinics and quality of clinical services, visiting patients at home, and educating patients at the time of discharge.

  Key words: patient readmission, teaching hospitals, hospitalization

  Please cite this article as follows:

 Karimi A, Mehdipour Y, Dehghan J, Erfannia l, Alipour J, Khammarnia M, et al. Patients’ Readmission Causes in Teaching Hospitals of Zahedan University of Medical Sciences. Hakim Research Journal 2013 16(3): 236- 242.

  * Corresponding Author: Department of Health Information Technology, School of Paramedical Sciences, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran. Tel: +98- 541- 3414550-5, Fax: +98- 541- 3414567, E-mail: k_afsaneh463@yahoo.com .