Abstract
Introduction: It has not yet been established whether the risk factors for readmissions of stroke survivors differ from those that contribute to the occurrence of this medical condition. The purpose of this umbrella review was to achieve two objectives: (1) identify the preventable risk factors for readmissions within 30-day and 1-year of discharge, and (2) develop a conceptual model for the preventable risk factors associated with readmission in stroke survivors. Methods: This umbrella review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 guidelines. The search included articles published until June 2024 obtained from PubMed, Web of Science (WoS), Cochrane Library, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), and Scopus. Two assessors independently selected papers and abstracted records for qualitative exploration with careful consideration. Results: The major risk factors for readmissions after the 30-day follow-up were hypertension (HTN) (OR=1.10-2.14), atrial fibrillation (AF) (OR=1.26-2.13), and diabetes mellitus (DM) (OR=1.15-1.4). The identified underlying risk factors after the 1-year follow-up also included HTN (OR=1.18-2.6), AF (OR=0.567-2.4), DM (OR=0.913-1.4), and treatment non-adherence. Conclusion: Addressing preventable risk factors is crucial for reducing readmission rates in stroke survivors through improved management of comorbidities, post-discharge care, awareness, and social support. Based on a developed conceptual model, a significant relationship was found between HTN and AF with readmission rates, highlighting the importance of targeted healthcare programs for stroke patients.