Same-Day Discharge After Outpatient PCI in a VA Hospital: Shared Decision Making and the VA MISSION Act.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: The VA Mission Act of 2018 sought to increase access to local care facilities for Veterans meeting certain eligibility criteria including a drive time of >60 min from a VA facility. As part of an ongoing review of our VA program's same day discharge (SDD) program following elective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), we investigated whether the distance criteria of the VA Mission Act had any impact on overall safety outcomes. METHODS: We performed a single center, retrospective study in patients who underwent outpatient PCI between 2013 and 2019. We stratified patients into an overnight observation (ON) and SDD group. We used Google Maps in order to calculate patient home distance to the Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Hospital (JBVA). Primary endpoints included all-cause death andmajor adverse cardiac events (MACE; cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, stroke, and/or target vessel revascularization). Secondary outcomes included total unplanned interactions with the healthcare system. Outcomes were analyzed at 30 days after PCI. RESULTS: There were 76 patients in the SDD group. The SDD group had a median drive time of 80 min from the JBVA. Regarding primary outcomes, there were no cases of MACE in either group and there was no statistically significant difference in terms of all-cause mortality (ON 1.3%, SDD 0%, p = .5) 30 days following PCI. All secondary outcomes at 30 days did not demonstrate a statistically significant difference between either group. CONCLUSION: Same day discharge following successful PCI procedures appears safe. In response to the VA Mission Act, drive time and distance travelled did not appear to impact outcomes. SUMMARY: Same day discharge in select patients at our VA hospital was both safe and feasible. Neither drive time nor distance travelled affected overall outcomes in response to the 2018 VA MISSION Act. As such, shared decision making between patients and physicians remains essential to ensure Veterans continue to receive high quality care that is in their best medical interest.