Comparison of Patients Discharged to Skilled Nursing and Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities after Hospitalization for COVID-19: A Retrospective Study

Abstract

Objective The aim of the study is to identify differences in demographics, severity of disease, and rates of hospital readmission among adults discharged to skilled nursing facilities and inpatient rehabilitation facilities after hospitalization for coronavirus 2019. Design This is a retrospective cohort study of adults hospitalized with coronavirus 2019 infection at academic medical centers participating in the Vizient Clinical Data Base between April 1, 2020, and June 30, 2021, who were discharged to skilled nursing facilities or inpatient rehabilitation facilities (N = 39,882). Data from the Clinical Data Base are used with permission of Vizient, Inc. All rights reserved. Results Among adults hospitalized with coronavirus 2019 infection, those discharged to skilled nursing facilities were 1.4 times more likely to require hospital readmission than those discharged to inpatient rehabilitation facilities. They were, on average, older (73 vs. 61 yrs, P < 0.001) and had shorter hospital lengths of stay (15 vs. 26 days, P < 0.0001) than the patients discharged to inpatient rehabilitation facilities. Persons discharged to inpatient rehabilitation facilities were more likely to have received intensive care and mechanical ventilation while hospitalized (P < 0.001). Conclusions Individuals discharged to inpatient rehabilitation facilities after hospitalization for coronavirus 2019 differ from those discharged to skilled nursing facilities on a number of key variables, including age, hospital length of stay, having received intensive care, and odds of hospital readmission.