{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,21]],"date-time":"2026-01-21T06:16:01Z","timestamp":1768976161046,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":73,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,20]],"date-time":"2026-01-20T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1768867200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JCM"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background\/Objectives: Patients with complex chronic disorders constitute a growing share of the general population and are frequently hospitalised for acute care in Internal Medicine Departments. Little is known about long-term rates and predictors of post-discharge mortality, possibly contributing to suboptimal and discontinuous care, including delayed referral to palliative programmes. Methods: To assess the long-term post-discharge mortality of patients admitted to Internal Medicine Departments and its predictors, we analysed a cohort of old, multi-morbid subjects, corresponding to the whole population of patients admitted to an Internal Medicine Department over 12 months (February 2016\u2013March 2017). Public health registries were interrogated to assess the five-year mortality (up to 2022) of patients discharged alive. Results: Post-discharge mortality was 57% at follow-up end, with an early peak rate of 32% at year 1, a 10\u201314% intermediate rate at years 2\u20134, and a 7% late rate, approaching expected figures in the general population. Cancer, neurological and liver disorders, and respiratory failure were significantly associated with early and intermediate mortality, while renal disorders, dependence for daily activities, and immunodepression were selectively relevant for death in the first year. Cardiovascular and upper gastrointestinal disorders were associated with late mortality. Surrogate measures of frailty, intensity of care, and patient complexity were also able to predict early-, intermediate-, and late-mortality risk. Conclusions: A relevant fraction of patients hospitalised in Internal Medicine Departments might require palliative care. Dissecting the differential contribution of clinical and healthcare-associated variables for short, medium-, and long-term mortality might facilitate patient management and identify subjects in need of early or simultaneous palliative care.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm15020850","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,20]],"date-time":"2026-01-20T17:20:42Z","timestamp":1768929642000},"page":"850","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Variability in Post-Discharge Mortality Rates and Predictors over Time: Data from a Five-Year Ward-Wide Study"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2889-366X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Giuseppe A.","family":"Ramirez","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Unit of Immunology, Rheumatology, Allergy and Rare Diseases, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, via Olgettina 60, 20132 Milan, Italy"},{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, Universit\u00e0 Vita-Salute San Raffaele, via Olgettina 58, 20123 Milan, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Bruno N.","family":"Germinario","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Unit of General Medicine and Advanced Care, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, via Olgettina 60, 20132 Milan, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4310-6951","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Giovanni","family":"Benanti","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Unit of Immunology, Rheumatology, Allergy and Rare Diseases, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, via Olgettina 60, 20132 Milan, Italy"},{"name":"Unit of General Medicine and Advanced Care, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, via Olgettina 60, 20132 Milan, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Pier Francesco","family":"Caruso","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, Universit\u00e0 Vita-Salute San Raffaele, via Olgettina 58, 20123 Milan, Italy"},{"name":"Unit of General Medicine and Advanced Care, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, via Olgettina 60, 20132 Milan, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0007-7079-8993","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Francesca","family":"Mette","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, Universit\u00e0 Vita-Salute San Raffaele, via Olgettina 58, 20123 Milan, Italy"},{"name":"Unit of General Medicine and Advanced Care, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, via Olgettina 60, 20132 Milan, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Gaia","family":"Pagliula","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, Universit\u00e0 Vita-Salute San Raffaele, via Olgettina 58, 20123 Milan, Italy"},{"name":"Unit of General Medicine and Advanced Care, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, via Olgettina 60, 20132 Milan, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Adriana","family":"Cariddi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Unit of Immunology, Rheumatology, Allergy and Rare Diseases, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, via Olgettina 60, 20132 Milan, Italy"},{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, Universit\u00e0 Vita-Salute San Raffaele, via Olgettina 58, 20123 Milan, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Silvia","family":"Sartorelli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, Universit\u00e0 Vita-Salute San Raffaele, via Olgettina 58, 20123 Milan, Italy"},{"name":"Unit of General Medicine and Advanced Care, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, via Olgettina 60, 20132 Milan, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8836-4930","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Elisabetta","family":"Falbo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, Universit\u00e0 Vita-Salute San Raffaele, via Olgettina 58, 20123 Milan, Italy"},{"name":"Unit of General Medicine and Advanced Care, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, via Olgettina 60, 20132 Milan, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4042-1371","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Alessandro","family":"Marinosci","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Unit of General Medicine and Advanced Care, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, via Olgettina 60, 20132 Milan, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Francesca","family":"Farina","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, Universit\u00e0 Vita-Salute San Raffaele, via Olgettina 58, 20123 Milan, Italy"},{"name":"Unit of General Medicine and Advanced Care, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, via Olgettina 60, 20132 Milan, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Giacomo","family":"Pacioni","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, Universit\u00e0 Vita-Salute San Raffaele, via Olgettina 58, 20123 Milan, Italy"},{"name":"Unit of General Medicine and Advanced Care, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, via Olgettina 60, 20132 Milan, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Elena","family":"Rela","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, Universit\u00e0 Vita-Salute San Raffaele, via Olgettina 58, 20123 Milan, Italy"},{"name":"Unit of General Medicine and Advanced Care, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, via Olgettina 60, 20132 Milan, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Pietro","family":"Barbieri","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Clinical Management Unit, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, via Olgettina 60, 20132 Milan, 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