25% of Patients Readmitted to Hospitals, AHRQ Reports
More than 25% of all hospital patients return to the hospital within two years of their first visit for the same condition, according to a study by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Readmission was the highest among poor patients and those enrolled in either Medicaid or Medicare. The study follows similar research by the California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development showing that one-third of patients hospitalized in the state are readmitted within one year.
- "Hospital Return Visits at 25%, U.S. Study Finds" (Calvan, Sacramento Bee, 5/27).