SHM Converge Scientific Abstract ePoster Gallery-Adults With Special Health Care Needs Have Longer Length of Stay When Admitted for Cap and Uti

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The document describes a study examining whether adults with special health care needs (ASHCN) have longer hospital stays than similar adults without such needs when admitted to adult hospitals with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) or urinary tract infection (UTI). Using 2016 National Inpatient Sample data, the authors analyzed patients ages 18–40 and defined ASHCN as those with autism spectrum disorder, developmental delay, or cerebral palsy.<br /><br />The study found that ASHCN had a significantly longer average length of stay than non-ASHCN patients (7.2 days vs. 5.8 days). The full sample included 290,185 hospitalizations, with 14,805 classified as ASHCN. The ASHCN group also differed from the non-ASHCN group in age, gender, race, and income distribution, with all comparisons statistically significant.<br /><br />The authors conclude that ASHCN experience greater inpatient resource use in adult hospitals for CAP and UTI, confirming the study hypothesis. They note that the reasons for the longer stays are not fully clear, but may relate to the challenges of transitioning from pediatric to adult care and to unmet inpatient needs. The presentation suggests areas for quality improvement, including standardized management of pain, spasticity, communication, feeding difficulties, urinary retention, constipation, pulmonary toilet, bone health, skin breakdown, mobility, and mental health.<br /><br />Overall, the study highlights a gap in understanding inpatient care for ASHCN in adult hospitals and calls for more transitional medicine research to improve care quality and outcomes for this population.

Asset Subtitle

Lauren McIntosh

Meta Tag

Author List Joseph Menigo, Lauren McIntosh, Lolia Abibo, Trisha Jethwa

Category Research

Concept Adults with Special Health Care Needs

Concept Inpatient Length of Stay

Concept Community-Acquired Pneumonia

Concept Urinary Tract Infection

Concept HCUP-NIS

Distinguished Non-Finalist

Presenter Organization Medical College of Wisconsin

Presenting Author Lauren McIntosh

Track Outcomes Research

Keywords

special health care needs

adult hospitals

hospital length of stay

community-acquired pneumonia

urinary tract infection

National Inpatient Sample

autism spectrum disorder

developmental delay

cerebral palsy

transitional care

Adults with Special Health Care Needs

Inpatient Length of Stay

Community-Acquired Pneumonia

Urinary Tract Infection

HCUP-NIS