A new study published in the Journal of Arthroplasty examines factors associated with unexpected rehabilitation or skilled nursing facility admissions after total joint replacement.
Article authors examined six studies on patients who underwent primary unilateral total knee replacement from 2012 to 2017 with preoperative risk factors for patient discharge disposition besides being discharged home. There were 2,281 patients included in the studies. Researchers found:
1. Around 9.6 percent of the patients were discharged to SNIFs or inpatient rehabilitation facilities while the remaining patients were discharged home.
2. The factors most associated with discharge to IRFs include:
• Age older than 75 years
• Female sex
• Non-Caucasian race
• Medicare status
• History of depression
• Charleston Comorbidity Index
3. Patients who reported in-hospital complications were more likely to be discharged to SNFs or IRFs.
4. Study authors concluded, "This study identifies preoperative and in-hospital factors that predispose patients to non-routine discharges which allow surgeons to better predict patient postoperative disposition."