Development and Validation of an Interpretable 3-day Intensive Care Unit Readmission Prediction Model Using Explainable Boosting Machines

Intensive care unit readmissions are associated with mortality and bad outcomes. Machine learning could help to identify patients at risk to improve discharge decisions. However, many models are black boxes, so that dangerous properties might remain unnoticed. In this study, an inherently interpretable model for 3-day ICU readmission prediction was developed. We used a retrospective cohort of 15,589 ICU stays and 169 variables collected between 2006 and 2019. A team of doctors inspected the model, checked the plausibility of each component, and removed problematic parts. Qualitative feedback revealed several challenges for interpretable machine learning in healthcare. The resulting model used 67 features and showed an area under the precision-recall curve of 0.119{+/-}0.020 and an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.680{+/-}0.025. This is on par with state-of-the-art gradient boosting machines and outperforms the Simplified Acute Physiology Score II. External validation with the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care database version IV confirmed our findings. Hence, a machine learning model for readmission prediction with a high level of human control is feasible without sacrificing performance.