The Effect of Home Care Support Clinics on Hospital Readmission in Heart Failure Patients in Japan

Background Heart failure is common and is associated with high rates of hospitalization. Home care support clinics/hospitals (HCSCs) and enhanced HCSCs were introduced in Japan in 2006 and 2012, respectively. Objective This study aimed to examine the effect of post-discharge care by conventional or enhanced HCSCs on readmission, compared with general clinics. Design Retrospective cohort study using the Japanese nationwide health insurance claims database. Participants Participants were ≥65 years of age, admitted for heart failure and discharged between July 2014 and August 2015 and received a home visit within a month following the discharge ( n =12,393). Main Measures The exposure was the type of medical facility that provides post-discharge home healthcare: general clinics, conventional HCSCs, and enhanced HCSCs. The primary outcome was all-cause readmission for 6 months after the first visit; the incidence of emergency house calls was a secondary outcome. We used a competing risk regression using the Fine and Gray method, in which death was regarded as a competing event. Key Results At 6 months, readmissions were lower in conventional (38%) or enhanced HCSCs (38%) than general clinics (43%). The adjusted subdistribution hazard ratio (sHR) of readmission was 0.87 (95% CI: 0.78–0.96) for conventional and 0.86 (0.78–0.96) for enhanced HCSCs. Emergency house calls increased with conventional (sHR: 1.77, 95% CI:1.57–2.00) and enhanced HCSCs (sHR: 1.93, 95% CI: 1.71-2.17). Conclusions Older Japanese patients with heart failure receiving post-discharge home healthcare by conventional or enhanced HCSCs had lower readmission rates, possibly due to compensation with more emergency house calls. Conventional and enhanced HCSCs may be effective in reducing the risk of rehospitalization. Further studies are necessary to confirm the medical functions performed by HCSCs.