Ethan G. Jaffee|Vineet M. Arora|Madeleine I. Matthiesen|Seenu M. Hariprasad|David Meltzer|Valerie G. Press
Postdischarge Falls and Readmissions: Associations with Insufficient Vision and Low Health Literacy among Hospitalized Seniors
Massachusetts General Hospital|University of Chicago|Massachusetts General Hospital|University of Chicago|University of Chicago|University of Chicago
role patientlevel risk factors insufficient vision understudied insufficient vision may interfere health literacy assessments full impact low health literacy among older patients impaired vision unknown sought determine whether senior inpatients insufficient vision low health literacy associated adverse outcomes postdischarge specifically falls readmissions conducted observational study adult medicine inpatients urban hospital visual acuity health literacy screened bedside outcomes data collected telephone 30 days postdischarge among 1900 participants 1244 65 reached postdischarge 44 insufficient vision 43 low health literacy insufficient vision associated postdischarge falls among participants 65 years adjusted odds ratio aor 338 95 confidence interval ci 142805 among participants 65 years aor 144 95 ci 089232 low health literacy associated readmissions among participants 65 years aor 315 95 ci 177561 among participants 65 years aor 078 95 ci 056109 results suggest need implement screening older inpatients vision health literacy developing effective interventions reduce risks critical given national priorities reduce falls readmissions