Study of the relation between quality of inpatient care and early readmission for diabetic patients at a hospital in the Eastern province of Saudi Arabia.

Readmission of diabetic patients after discharge from hospital has potential value as a quality of care indicator. This retrospective cohort and case-control study aimed to determine the readmission rate for diabetic patients within 28 days after discharge and the association between quality of inpatient care and unplanned readmission. An audit of records was conducted in a hospital in the Eastern province of Saudi Arabia during 2000-2008. The rate of unplanned readmission of patients originally admitted with diabetes mellitus (n = 1125) was 5.2%. Comparison of data from readmitted patients (n = 62) and a sample of nonreadmitted patients (n = 62) showed that adherence by health care providers to American Diabetes Association guidelines for admission work-up (OR 0.91, 95% CI: 0.85-0.99) and readiness for discharge criteria (OR 0.89, 95% CI: 0.84-0.95) were significantly more likely to decrease the risk of readmission within 28 days.