Readmission and mortality in patients treated by interprofessional student teams at a training ward compared with patients receiving usual care: a retrospective cohort study.

Abstract

This study aimed to compare the rate of patient readmissions and mortality between care provided at an orthopaedic interprofessional training ward (IPTW) and usual care. Retrospective cohort study. Orthopaedic wards at a level II trauma centre at a Swedish university teaching hospital between 2006 and 2011. Two cohorts were identified: (1) a control cohort that had not received care at the IPTW, and (2) patients who had been treated for at least 1 day at the IPTW. Readmission at 90 days and 1-year mortality. We included 4652 controls and 1109 in the IPTW group. The mean age was 63 years, and 58% were women. The groups did not differ in any of the outcomes: the readmission rate in the control and IPTW groups was 13.5% and 14.0%, respectively, while mortality was 5.2% and 5.3%, respectively. This lack of difference remained after adjusting for confounders. Interprofessional undergraduate training in patient-based settings can be performed in a level II trauma hospital with satisfactory patient safety.