Drug-related risk of hospital readmission in children with chronic diseases, a systematic review

Drug-related problems (DRPs) are one of the leading causes of hospital readmissions. Children with chronic diseases are more likely to experience DRPs than adults. The burden and characteristics of drug-related readmissions at and after hospital discharge in children remain unclear. We aimed to summarize the impact of DRPs at and after hospital discharge on the risk of readmissions in children with chronic diseases. We conducted a systematic review searching PubMed from inception until January 2022. Study selection criteria were studies assessing the impact of different factors at discharge and after discharge on the risk of hospital readmissions in children with chronic diseases, reporting an assessment of DRPs. DRP could be the only risk factor assessed or one among others. Included studies were assessed with the Risk of Bias in Non-Randomized Studies - of Exposure (ROBINS-E) tool. We summarized the qualitative impact of the reported DRPs on hospital readmission as conclusive (significant association) or inconclusive. Of the 4734 studies initially identified, 13 met inclusion criteria. Eleven studies were retrospective, using electronic health records. The studies assessed the impact of DRPs at or after discharge according to the type of medication (in 6 studies), number of medication (in 5 studies) and medication nonadherence (in 2 studies). From the 44 reported associations between DRPs and the risk of readmission 26 (59% [95% CI, 43%–73%]) were conclusive, of which 81% increased the risk and 19% decreased the risk, and 17 (39% [95% CI, 24%–55%]) were inconclusive. The impact of DRPs on hospital readmissions in children with chronic diseases displayed conflicting results, estimated associations having potentially a serious risk of bias. We need more evidence with a lower risk of bias.