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Table 5 Consequences of diagnostic discrepancy for consecutive ED patients between 2008 and 2016

From: Organisational determinants and consequences of diagnostic discrepancy in two large patient groups in the emergency departments: a national study of consecutive episodes between 2008 and 2016

Diagnostic discrepancy

Hip fracture (n = 69,928)

Erysipelas (n = 37,558)

30-day readmission

OR (95% CI)

30-day mortality

OR (95% CI)

Episode costs

Log cost (95% CI)

30-day readmission

OR (95% CI)

30-day mortality

OR (95% CI)

Episode costs

Log cost (95% CI)

Definition 1a

1.45 (1.27–1.65)

1.10 (0.94–1.29)

0.58 (0.53–0.63)

0.98 (0.87–1.10)

1.20 (0.91–1.57)

1.00 (0.93–1.05)

Definition 2b

1.41 (1.23–1.62)

1.07 (0.90–1.27)

0.57 (0.52–0.62)

1.00 (0.89–1.13)

1.23 (0.92–1.61)

0.98 (0.92–1.04)

Model characteristics

 Episode (n)

69,330

69,324

56,235

37,296

37,091

28,844

 Department (n)

21

21

21

21

21

21

 Min episodes per ED

330

330

238

110

110

110

 Max episodes per ED

6868

6867

6367

5084

5036

3566

 Wald chi2

1041*

3464*

12,520*

2752*

3474*

9161*

  1. OR Odds ratio, CI Confidence interval
  2. aHierarchically and diagnostically different diagnoses were defined as diagnostic discrepancy; hip fracture n = 2308, erysipelas n = 3206
  3. bDiagnostically different diagnoses were defined as diagnostic discrepancy; hip fracture n = 1998, erysipelas n = 2977
  4. Results are coefficients from mixed effects models expressing the effect of diagnostic discrepancy on 30-day readmission, 30-day mortality and episode costs. All estimates are adjusted for all covariates shown in Table 2 (episode-level age, gender and comorbidity and department-level teaching status, episode volume, and average 30-day readmission, 30-day mortality and episode costs)
  5. *The significance level was set at P < 0.001