Family Medicine

UAE 30-day psychiatric readmission risk score with modest discrimination

In a retrospective UAE cohort of 14,994 psychiatric admissions, a LASSO-derived score predicted 30-day readmission with validation AUC 0.649 (95% CI 0.623–0.678). Key predictors included prior psychiatric admissions, schizoaffective disorder, Charlson Comorbidity Index, first-generation antipsychotics, and emergency admission; long-acting injectable antipsychotics were protective. A simple three-tier score separated observed readmission risks into 6.7% (low), 10.0% (medium), and 18.0% (high) groups. Model performance was modest but better than recalibrated LACE and READMIT-subset; applicability is strongest to UAE inpatient settings. 1

Growing use of the Win Ratio with frequent component discordance

This meta-epidemiological review identified 90 studies using the Win Ratio, mostly in circulatory system trials (about 80%). Among comparable reports, component-level directional discordance with the overall Win Ratio was common (25.9% of components in pre-specified analyses). Only 22 of 35 studies had WR conclusions consistent with original trial conclusions, often due to changes in component selection or prioritization. The paper warns that hierarchical endpoint choices can materially change interpretation versus conventional composites. 2

Older-adult low back pain trials emphasize pain and function, neglect other domains

In 57 RCTs of older adults with non-specific low back pain, reviewers identified 74 patient-reported measures across nine domains. Physical functioning (36% of measures) and pain (26%) dominated outcome assessment, while health-related quality of life appeared in 23% of studies. Only 14% of trials captured all three core outcome domains, and none fully adhered to the core outcome measurement set. Investigators recommend standardizing outcome measurement and developing multi-domain instruments for this population. 3