Causes of Hospital Readmissions

According to a recent federal report, there were 3.3 million hospital readmissions among adults in 2011, with associated hospital costs of $41.3 billion.  The study, by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, defined a readmission as a hospital admission within 30 days of a prior admission. The study included all causes of readmissions, including those that were planned.

The study found that Medicare patients accounted for over 55% of adult hospital readmissions that year.  It also found that the most common conditions leading to readmissions varied across payor type.  The three most common conditions for each category were as follows:

• Privately insured (age 18 to 64): maintenance chemotherapy, mood disorders, and complications of surgical or medical care
• Medicaid (age 18 to 64): mood disorders, schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders, and diabetes
• Uninsured (age 18 to 64): mood disorders, alcohol-related disorders, and diabetes
• Medicare (age 65+): congestive heart failure, septicemia, and pneumonia