Irregular hospital discharge from acute inpatient and residential mental health treatment settings in a large integrated healthcare system.

OBJECTIVE

Irregular discharge is a concern among mental health populations and associated with poor outcomes. Little is known about the relationship between irregular discharge and treatment setting. Because care processes differ between acute inpatient and residential settings, it is important to evaluate irregular discharge in these settings.

METHOD

A retrospective study was conducted in patients with mental health conditions admitted to acute inpatient or residential mental health settings in the Department of Veterans Affairs, 2003-2019. Logistic regression and multivariate Cox proportional hazards were used to evaluate factors associated with irregular discharge risk in the first 90- days of admission.

RESULTS

Among 1.8 million discharges, 7.4% had an irregular discharge within 90- days of admission. Younger age was a central predictor of risk. Irregular discharge rates were four-fold higher in residential versus acute settings. When accounting for length of stay (LOS) across settings, there was a modest higher risk of irregular discharge from acute versus residential settings (HR = 1.06, 95% Confidence Interval 1.04-1.07).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients are at high risk for irregular discharge from acute and residential settings when they are young. LOS is an important determinant of irregular discharge risk.. Interventions are needed to address drivers of irregular discharge.