Geographic disparities in hospital readmissions: a retrospective cohort study among patients with chronic disease in rural China
We found significant geographic disparities in hospital readmissions among high-need patients. Patients living farther from hospitals had significantly lower odds of readmissions. Readmission rates reflect patients' healthcare utilization patterns in rural and remote areas. Policymakers should address the geographic access barriers and be cautious when using readmission rates as a measure of hospital performance.
Authors
- Haoqing Tang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5805-2116)
- Huixian Zheng (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0003-0726-5482)
- Baisong Zhang
- Pascal Geldsetzer (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8878-5505)
- Yanshang Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6110-6296)
- Xiaotian Zhang
- Mingyue Li (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8417-5665)
- Xiaoyun Liu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5483-0742)
- Haozhe Cheng (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8723-9924)
- Yuxun Zhou (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5531-8612)
Institutions
- Peking University (CN)
- Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (United States) (US)
- Imperial College London (GB)
- Nanjing Medical University (CN)
- Stanford University (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- International Journal for Equity in Health
- Published
- 2025-03-26
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-025-02443-0
- Citations
- 2
- Primary Topic
- Healthcare Systems and Reforms
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 4.42
Funders
- China Scholarship Council