Hospital readmission.

Hospital readmission occurs when a patient has an unplanned return to the hospital for additional care within thirty days of being discharged. Patients are considered to be readmitted when they return to the hospital within thirty days because the condition for which they were first admitted is not fully resolved, reoccurs, or worsens. Unplanned hospital readmissions are a concern because of the emotional, physical, and financial toll they take on the patient and the patient's family. Readmission also increases the risk of hospital-acquired infections, affects the availability of beds for other patients, and influences health insurance costs.