Factors associated with failure to discharge in the context of home care

Objective: Our aim was to analyze the factors associated with failure to discharge users of the home care service to primary healthcare. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted at the home care service of the metropolitan region in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Data from the records of 157 users assisted by the home care teams in 2016, including those that remained throughout 2017, were collected. The socio-demographic, economic, health, and behavioral data were analyzed, in addition to data regarding access to the home care service and the socio-demographic variables of the caregivers. Poisson regression was used to determine the factors associated with failure to discharge from the home care service to primary healthcare, considering p < 0.05 as significant. Results: The percentage of failure to discharge to primary healthcare was 22.29%. The increase in age and frequency of home visits were associated with failure to discharge. Income of >$780.00 increased by 2.55 times the percentage of failure to discharge from the home care service to primary healthcare compared with users whose income was <$260.00. Being referred from the emergency care unit decreased the percentage of failure to discharge when controlling for the remaining variables of the model. Conclusion: The results demonstrated the existence of users for whom the home care service has difficulties in discharging to primary healthcare; discharge was also associated with the type of access to the service. This study presented contributions to the subject.