An Examination of Factors Predicting Inpatient Rehabilitation Stay After Burn Injury: A Burns Model System Study

Rehabilitation services often improve the functional recovery of people who have experienced burn injuries. However, characteristics associated with longer inpatient rehabilitation (IR) stays have not been well explored. This study aimed to examine patient and clinical factors associated with the length of IR stay. Adult participants in the Burn Model System National Database (1994-2022) discharged to IR following their hospital stay were included. A negative binomial regression analysis examined the association between IR days and demographic and injury characteristics. A P-value less than .05 was considered significant. The study included 585 participants who were 72% male with mean age of 46.1 years (SD 16.8), and mean burn size of 34.6% (20.5) TBSA. Average IR days were 22.8 (19.3). Characteristics associated with more IR days include TBSA (P-value <.001), ventilator days (P-value <.001), high-voltage electrical injury (P-value .021), range of motion deficits (P-value .049), foot burns (0.008), and self-inflicted injury (P-value =.002). Hand burns (P-value .008) and self-pay/philanthropy/other primary payor source (P-value <.001) were the only factors in this study associated with less IR days. Study results demonstrate significant links between burn injury complexity factors and IR stay. Understanding how these factors affect length of IR stay post-burn injury will better help to inform rehabilitation care decisions. Results provide future opportunities for examination of anticipated IR length of stay and factors guiding additional rehabilitation resources.