Abstract
High rates of readmission for heart failure have resulted in legislation, which will decrease the rate of reimbursement for hospitals with high rates of readmission. Improving the transition to home may reduce the number of readmissions for heart failure. Factors related to increased rate of hospital readmission include social factors, clinical factors and transitional factors. Social factors include age, health literacy, functional deficits, social support, and nonadherence to therapy. Clinical factors include previous hospital admissions, comorbidities, and complex medication regimens. Transitional care factors include disposition at discharge, follow-up phone calls, and time to first follow-up appointment. The purpose of the study is to explore the clinical, social and transitional care factors related to the 30-day readmission rate at a Midwest, urban teaching hospital. This study was a qualitative non-experimental design. A retrospective chart review was utilized to assess the clinical factors, social factors, and transitional care factors that influence the rate of 30-day readmissions from 221 patients coded out with CHF. There were no statistically significant correlations between any of the variables and the rate of heart failure readmissions. Future research should focus on determining those factors related to hospital readmissions and creating interventions to reduce readmissions.