Mortality risk stratification can predict readmissions but not length of stay.

Objectives: To determine whether the mortality risk stratification (MORIS) strata can predict outcomes including mortality, readmission, and discharge disposition for specific diagnoses.

Study Design: Retrospective, observational study for hospitalized patients in 2016-2017 at an urban, medium-sized, community tertiary care hospital. All admitted patients with 1 of the following diagnoses were included in this study: acute myocardial infarction, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, congestive heart failure, pneumonia, and sepsis.

Methods: No interventions were applied in this retrospective study. Data collected from patients admitted under 1 of the 5 diagnoses included mortality, length of stay (LOS), readmission, and discharge disposition.

Results: MORIS strata can predict condition-specific mortality and readmissions but not length of stay or discharge disposition.

Conclusions: Stewardship of resources is necessary to obtain high value in care. A long LOS, discharge to skilled nursing facilities, and unplanned readmissions contribute to a significant utilization of resources. The MORIS strata are useful in predicting disease-specific mortality and readmission, but they are not useful in predicting LOS or discharge disposition.