Background Discharges against medical advice are common among inpatients in the United
States. The impact of discharge against medical advice on readmission rates and
subsequent hospitalization outcomes is uncertain. We sought to ascertain the effect of
discharge against medical advice on 30-day readmission rates and outcomes of
readmission. Methods We used the 2014 Nationwide Readmissions Database to identify
index hospitalizations among patients older than 18 years of age. The primary exposure …