Effect of early, individualised and intensified follow-up after open heart valve surgery on unplanned cardiac hospital readmissions and all-cause mortality

TY - JOUR

T1 - Effect of early, individualised and intensified follow-up after open heart valve surgery on unplanned cardiac hospital readmissions and all-cause mortality

AU - Borregaard, Britt

AU - Dahl, Jordi Sanchez

AU - Riber, Lars Peter Schødt

AU - Ekholm, Ola

AU - Sibilitz, Kirstine Lærum

AU - Weiss, Marc

AU - Sørensen, Jan

AU - Berg, Selina Kikkenborg

AU - Møller, Jacob Eifer

PY - 2019

Y1 - 2019

N2 - Background: Unplanned readmissions after heart valve surgery are common, and constitute a significant burden for the patient and the health care system. The objective was to investigate the effect of individualised follow-up after open heart valve surgery on a composite endpoint of first unplanned cardiac hospital readmission or all-cause mortality within 180 days of discharge. Methods: The study is a prospective cohort study comparing the composite endpoint in patients undergoing early, individualised and intensified follow-up after heart valve surgery with a propensity matched historical control group. A total of 308 consecutive patients were enrolled in the prospective cohort study, 980 consecutive patients comprised the control group. The propensity matched group consisted of n = 300 (intervention)and n = 580 (controls). Time to first event was analysed using uni- and multivariable Cox proportional hazard analysis. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were constructed to assess the probability of survival without readmission. Results: After 180 days, the proportion of patients experiencing the composite endpoint was significantly lower in the intervention group compared with the controls for the overall, unmatched population (23% vs. 38%; HR 0.55; 95% CI, 0.42 to 0.73; P < 0.001). The effect did not change in the propensity matched population (HR 0.57; 95% CI 0.43;0.75, P < 0.001). The difference was related to reduction in readmission rates, whereas death rates were similar in intervention and control group (1.6% vs. 1.8%). Conclusion: An intervention consisting of early, individualised and intensified follow-up after open heart valve surgery reduced the risk of a composite endpoint of first, unplanned cardiac hospital readmission or all-cause mortality within 180 days.

AB - Background: Unplanned readmissions after heart valve surgery are common, and constitute a significant burden for the patient and the health care system. The objective was to investigate the effect of individualised follow-up after open heart valve surgery on a composite endpoint of first unplanned cardiac hospital readmission or all-cause mortality within 180 days of discharge. Methods: The study is a prospective cohort study comparing the composite endpoint in patients undergoing early, individualised and intensified follow-up after heart valve surgery with a propensity matched historical control group. A total of 308 consecutive patients were enrolled in the prospective cohort study, 980 consecutive patients comprised the control group. The propensity matched group consisted of n = 300 (intervention)and n = 580 (controls). Time to first event was analysed using uni- and multivariable Cox proportional hazard analysis. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were constructed to assess the probability of survival without readmission. Results: After 180 days, the proportion of patients experiencing the composite endpoint was significantly lower in the intervention group compared with the controls for the overall, unmatched population (23% vs. 38%; HR 0.55; 95% CI, 0.42 to 0.73; P < 0.001). The effect did not change in the propensity matched population (HR 0.57; 95% CI 0.43;0.75, P < 0.001). The difference was related to reduction in readmission rates, whereas death rates were similar in intervention and control group (1.6% vs. 1.8%). Conclusion: An intervention consisting of early, individualised and intensified follow-up after open heart valve surgery reduced the risk of a composite endpoint of first, unplanned cardiac hospital readmission or all-cause mortality within 180 days.

KW - Heart valve surgery

KW - Heart valves

KW - Intervention

KW - Propensity matched

KW - Readmission

U2 - 10.1016/j.ijcard.2019.02.056

DO - 10.1016/j.ijcard.2019.02.056

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 31006596

AN - SCOPUS:85064324761

SN - 0167-5273

VL - 289

SP - 30

EP - 36

JO - International Journal of Cardiology

JF - International Journal of Cardiology

ER -