J Korean Clin Nurs Res.  2025 Apr;31(1):15-23. 10.22650/JKCNR.2025.31.1.15.

Comparison of the Characteristics Between Readmitted and Non-Readmitted Elderly Heart Failure Patients: A Study on Outpatients at a University Hospital

• Kim MK
• Cha J

• KMID: 2567674
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.22650/JKCNR.2025.31.1.15

Abstract

Purpose
This study aimed to establish a basis for minimizing readmission of patients with heart failure by comparing their demographic, clinical, psychosocial, and behavioral characteristics based on the presence or absence of readmission.
Methods
This retrospective descriptive study included 160 elderly patients with heart failure aged 60 years and older, who regularly visited the cardiovascular outpatient clinic in K hospital in Daegu. Data were collected from April to December 2021 using self-report questionnaires including the Lubben Social Network Scale, the Scale of Positive and Negative Experience, and European Heart Failure Self-care Behaviour 9-Item Tools, which were translated in the Korean context. IBM SPSS Statistics 25 was used for analysis, and descriptive statistics, χ² test, Fisher’s exact test, t-test, and logistic regression analysis were conducted.
Results
The factors that significantly affected the readmission of elderly patients with heart failure were social network and the type of medications taken. The total explanatory power of the regression model was 22.7%. Social network (OR=0.93, p=.037) and the type of medication taken were 4~5 (OR=4.80, p=.014) and more than 6 medications (OR=7.84, p=.037) had a significant impact on readmission.
Conclusion
Social network was the most influential factor for readmission. Further studies are needed to minimize readmission by analyzing additional factors that show significant differences.

Keyword

Heart Failure; Aged; Readmission; Emotions; Social Networking