A study in Arthroplasty Today examined whether early discharges after total joint replacement surgery were increasing hospital readmissions.
Here's what you should know.
1. Researchers conducted a retrospective review of all hip and knee joint replacement patients from April 2014 to March 2015. They examined 174 patients discharged after one day and 285 discharged after two days.
2. The average age of the patients in the two groups varied. Those discharged after one day were 61.7-year-old to the 64.8-year-old patients in the two-day group. The one-day patients had shorter surgical times.
3. The readmission rate for both groups was about equal; 30 day readmissions were at 2.3 percent to 2.5 percent for both groups, and 90 day readmissions were both at 1.1 percent.
4. The researchers concluded early discharge did not increase readmission and advised that refinement of protocols could allow for more patients to be discharged after one day.
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