Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Readmission within 90 days of total joint arthroplasty (TJA) via an emergency department (ED) encounter represents a significant economic burden to the healthcare system. We aimed to determine the utility of a previously described readmission risk assessment tool (RRAT) in predicting readmission after presentation to the ED within 90 days of primary TJA. METHODS: At a single academic tertiary referral medical center, a retrospective chart review was used to collect demographic data, surgery type, medical history, reason for presentation in the ED, and ED disposition for the 1,576 patients who underwent TJA between April 1, 2016, and December 31, 2018. The RRAT score of patients was calculated and compared between patients who were discharged home versus readmitted to inpatient care. RESULTS: We identified 244 patients (328 encounters) who presented to the ED within 90 days of primary TJA, resulting in a 3.1% readmission rate. No statistical difference was found between the RRAT scores of readmitted and discharged patients (p=0.24). The most common reason for presentation to the ED for discharged patients was surgical site pain compared to medical concerns (cardiac, hematological, and renal concerns) in the readmitted group. CONCLUSIONS: Although the RRAT score alone is not predictive of readmission within 90 days of TJA, the reason for presentation to the ED between discharged and readmitted patients does differ. These results present an opportunity for orthopedic surgery providers to discuss with other providers ways to optimize postoperative pain management and decrease readmissions. This study underscores the need for improved postoperative pain and chronic condition management to reduce ED visits and readmissions and highlights the necessity for larger, multi-center studies to better assess the RRAT score's predictive value.