High rates of general practice attendance by former prisoners: a prospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the rates at which people recently released from prison attend general practitioners, and to describe service users and their encounters. DESIGN, PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: Prospective cohort study of 1190 prisoners in Queensland, interviewed up to 6 weeks before expected release from custody (August 2008 - July 2010); their responses were linked prospectively with Medicare and Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme data for the 2 years after their release. General practice attendance was compared with that of members of the general Queensland population of the same sex and in the same age groups. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Rates of general practice attendance by former prisoners during the 2 years following their release from prison. RESULTS: In the 2 years following release from custody, former prisoners attended general practice services twice as frequently (standardised rate ratio, 2.04; 95% CI, 2.00-2.07) as other Queenslanders; 87% of participants visited a GP at least once during this time. 42% of encounters resulted in a filled prescription, and 12% in diagnostic testing. Factors associated with higher rates of general practice attendance included history of risky opiate use (incidence rate ratio [IRR], 2.09; 95% CI, 1.65-2.65), having ever been diagnosed with a mental disorder (IRR, 1.32; 95% CI, 1.14-1.53), and receiving medication while in prison (IRR, 1.82; 95% CI, 1.58-2.10). CONCLUSIONS: Former prisoners visited general practice services with greater frequency than the general Queensland population. This is consistent with their complex health needs, and suggests that increasing access to primary care to improve the health of former prisoners may be insufficient, and should be accompanied by improving the quality, continuity, and cultural appropriateness of care.

Understanding 30-day re-admission after hospitalisation of older patients for diabetes: identifying those at greatest risk.

OBJECTIVE: To identify factors that contribute to older Australians admitted to hospital with diabetes being re-hospitalised within 30 days of discharge. DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: A retrospective cohort study of Department of Veterans' Affairs administrative data for all patients hospitalised for diabetes and discharged alive during the period 1 January - 31 December 2012. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Causes of re-hospitalisation and prevalence of clinical factors associated with re-hospitalisation within 30 days of discharge. METHODS: Multivariate logistic regression analysis (backward stepwise) was used to identify characteristics predictive of 30-day re-hospitalisation. RESULTS: 848 people were hospitalised for diabetes; their median age was 87 years (interquartile range, 77-89 years) and 60% were men. 209 patients (24.6%) were re-hospitalised within 30 days of discharge, of whom 77.5% were re-admitted within 14 days of discharge. 51 re-hospitalisations (24%) were for diabetes-related conditions; 41% of those re-admitted within 14 days had not seen their general practitioner between discharge and re-admission. Factors predictive of re-hospitalisation included comorbid heart failure (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.49; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03-2.17; P = 0.036), numbers of prescribers in previous year (aOR [for each additional prescriber], 1.06; 95% CI, 1.01-1.08; P = 0.031), and two or more hospitalisations in the 6 months before the index admission (aOR, 1.79; 95% CI 1.15-2.78; P = 0.009). CONCLUSION: Older people hospitalised for diabetes who have comorbid heart failure, multiple recent hospitalisations, and multiple prescribers involved in their care are at greatest risk of being re-admitted to hospital within 30 days. Targeted follow-up during the initial 14 days after discharge may facilitate appropriate interventions that avert re-admission of these at-risk patients.