Factors Associated With Discharge Home Among Medical ICU Patients in an Early Mobilization Program

OBJECTIVES: One goal of early mobilization programs is to facilitate discharge home after an ICU hospitalization, but little is known about which factors are associated with this outcome. Our objective was to evaluate factors associated with discharge home among medical ICU patients in an early mobilization program who were admitted to the hospital from home. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study of medical ICU patients in an early mobilization program. SETTING: Tertiary care center medical ICU. PATIENTS: Medical ICU patients receiving early mobilization who were community-dwelling prior to admission. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: A comprehensive set of baseline, ICU-related, and mobilization-related factors were tested for their association with discharge home using multivariable logistic regression. Among the analytic cohort (n = 183), the mean age was 61.9 years (sd 16.67 yr) and the mean Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score was 23.5 (sd 7.11). Overall, 65.0% of patients were discharged home after their critical illness. In multivariable analysis, each incremental increase in the maximum level of mobility achieved (range, 1–6) during the medical ICU stay was associated with nearly a 50% greater odds of discharge home (odds ratio, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.13–1.88), whereas increased age (odds ratio, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.93–0.98) and greater hospital length of stay (odds ratio, 0.94; 95% CI, 0.90–0.99) were associated with decreased odds of discharge home. Prehospital ambulatory status was not associated with discharge home. CONCLUSIONS: Among medical ICU patients who resided at home prior to their ICU admission, the maximum level of mobility achieved in the medical ICU was the factor most strongly associated with discharge back home. Identification of this factor upon ICU-to-ward transfer may help target mobilization plans on the ward to facilitate a goal of discharge home.