| Sumario: | Background: Self-perceived health status is an important outcome for older adults recovering from acute illness, yet little is known about what predicts this outcome at discharge in Norwegian admission avoidance service. This study aimed to assess the change in self-perceived health of patients between admission and discharge in municipal in-patient acute care units (MIPACs) – a type of admission avoidance service in Norway – and to explore the association of individual and MIPAC institutional level factors on perceived health. Methods: Cross-sectional design with retrospective pre-test design was employed. Staff at eight MIPAC units collected data from patients who were willing and cognitively able to participate. Self-perceived health was measured with two outcome variables, the EQ-5D-5L index and the EQ-VAS, at admission and discharge, using a pre-post-test design. Missing data was handled using multiple imputation. Linear regression models were estimated in Stata. Results: Among the 89 included patients, the mean age was 77 (median = 81, Q1–Q3 = 70–87, minimum–maximum 35–98), and 66% were women. All patients showed significant improvement in self-perceived health from admission to discharge. The mean increase of EQ-5D-5L index was 0.27 points (95% CI = 0.21–0.33), and the mean increase of the EQ-VAS score was 15 points (95% CI = 9.70–19.90). Other individual or institutional characteristics, including age, comorbidity, length of stay, and bed count, were not statistically significantly associated with changes in EQ-5D-5L and EQ-VAS scores. Conclusions: The study found that patients receiving care in MIPACs showed significant improvements in self-perceived health between admission and discharge. Some individual-level predictors were identified, but institutional factors appeared unrelated to the change. These findings highlight that individual characteristics influenced patient's perceived health more than the institutional differences between the units. Future studies should incorporate larger samples and explore additional factors, such as interpersonal or community, to show a more comprehensive understanding of how the care environment shapes self-perceived health.
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