Post-Discharge Follow-Up Within 14 Days Reduces 30-Day Hospital Readmission Rates in Patients With Acute Myocardial Infarction and/or Acutely Decompensated Heart Failure

Introduction: Patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI) and acutely decompensated heart failure (ADHF) are at high risk for readmission to the hospital after discharge. We investigate the hypothesis that patients admitted with acute MI and/or ADHF who have close follow-up after discharge will have lower 30-day readmission rates than those who have delayed follow-up. Methods: A single-center retrospective chart review was performed. We identified patients who were discharged home from an inpatient cardiology service with a primary diagnosis of acute MI and/or ADHF, and divided them into two cohorts: those with close follow-up (defined as follow-up within 14 days of discharge), and those with delayed follow-up (defined as follow-up after 14 days from discharge). The primary outcome was any hospital readmission within 30 days. The major secondary outcome was any cardiovascular readmission within 30 days. Statistical analysis was performed with GraphPad Prism software. Results: 233 patients were analyzed...