- B.C. researchers analyzed the hospital records of over 7,000 people living with HIV.
- 13% of people with HIV were readmitted to hospital within 30 days of discharge.
- Patients with a single healthcare provider were less likely to need readmission.
Studies have found that HIV-positive people who have been readmitted to a hospital within 30 days after having been discharged are at heightened risk for poorer health.
Researchers in Vancouver at the British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS and local universities conducted a study to explore possible reasons that could explain why some HIV-positive people are at increased risk for hospital readmission in the short term. In reviewing the medical records of more than 7,000 HIV-positive people hospitalized between 1996 and 2015, researchers found that about 13% were readmitted to hospital within 30 days of having been discharged from an initial hospital visit.
In analysing many factors that could play a role in readmission, the researchers found that people who tended to visit the same healthcare provider for most of their medical care were less likely to need readmission to a hospital. The researchers stated: “Our findings support the adoption of interventions that seek to build patient-provider relationships in order to optimize outcomes for people living with HIV and enhance healthcare sustainability.”