Factors Associated With Predischarge Versus Postdischarge Scheduling for Early Follow-up Appointments

Background Per national guidelines, early follow-up appointments should be scheduled before discharge, but in previous research, appointments scheduled before discharge were not associated with appointment adherence. Objectives The purpose of this study was to determine whether patient, heart failure (HF), and hospital factors were associated with predischarge appointment scheduling. Methods A secondary analysis of a medical record review included patients hospitalized for decompensated HF at 3 health system hospitals who had a scheduled office appointment post discharge at 14 days or less. Patient demographics, and social, HF, and hospital factors were studied for association with predischarge scheduling. Results In multivariable modeling, the odds of having an appointment scheduled predischarge were based on 3 factors: nonwhite race, history of chronic renal insufficiency, and no admission within 14 days before HF hospitalization. Conclusions Appointment scheduling may be based on provider perceptions of readmission risk. Follow-up appointment scheduling practices should be based on systematic processes.