COVID-19 hospitalizations were shorter from September through December 2020, suggesting that hospital over-capacity may have resulted in earlier discharges and increased readmissions. Readmissions also were more likely when the initial admission required mechanical ventilation, or when the veteran had multiple comorbidities, smoked, or lived in an urban area. The longer the hospital stay, the greater the likelihood of readmission. Veterans readmitted from September through December 2020 were more often White, lived in a rural or highly rural area, and had shorter initial hospitalizations than veterans hospitalized earlier in the year.Īpproximately 1 of 6 veterans discharged alive following a COVID-19 hospitalization from March 1 through December 31, 2020, were readmitted within 90 days. Characteristics of the initial COVID-19 hospitalization associated with readmission included length of stay, mechanical ventilator use, higher comorbidity index score, current smoking, urban residence, discharged against medical advice, and hospitalized from September through December 2020 versus March through August 2020 (all P values <.02). Among survivors (n = 17,771), 16% (n = 2,764) were readmitted within 90 days of discharge, with a mean time to readmission of 21.6 days (SD = 21.1). Of 20,414 veterans hospitalized with COVID-19 during this time period, 13% (n = 2,643) died in the hospital. Veterans hospitalized with COVID-19 at a Veterans Health Administration (VA) hospital from March 1, 2020, through Decemwere followed for 90 days after discharge to determine readmission rates. We examined readmissions within 90 days of hospital discharge for veterans hospitalized with COVID-19 during the first 10 months of the pandemic in the US. Some patients experience ongoing sequelae after discharge, including rehospitalization therefore, outcomes following COVID-19 hospitalization are of continued interest. Our findings suggest that post-discharge monitoring and intervention may be key to reducing readmissions. What are the implications for public health practice? Furthermore, when hospitals were overwhelmed, initial hospital length of stay decreased, resulting in an increase in readmission rates. Our examination of readmissions up to 90 days following discharge confirmed that readmissions following COVID-19 occurred in a short period (median of 14 days) and were related to people who were sickest during their initial hospitalization. Most studies have only examined readmission within the first 30 days. Readmissions following a COVID-19 hospitalization are not uncommon.
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