The factors associated with discharge against medical advice: Comparing older and younger patients in ShahidBeheshti Hospital Complex, Kashan-Iran

Background: This study was conducted to compare the rate of discharge by personal wishes and its causes in older and younger patients. Methods: This descriptive analytical study was conducted on 35549 patients discharged from Shahid Beheshti Hospital Complex in Kashan, Iran, from April 2014 to April 2015. The patients discharged by their own wishes were divided into the older group (60 years old and above) and the younger group (age 20-59). The reasons for their discharge were assessed and compared. And then in each group, the reasons for their discharge were assessed ane then results compared in two group. Results: The rate of hospital discharge by personal wishes was 4.81% in the study population, with 28.11% of cases pertaining to older patients and 71.88% of cases to younger patients. Conclusions: According to the results obtained, marital status, education, duration of hospitalization and admission department can affect discharge by personal wishes in both older and younger patients. Certainty about recovery is one of the factors associated with discharge by personal wishes in both older and younger patients.