Readmitting

Readmitting is the act of admitting someone again after an initial discharge from an institution. The term is used in several contexts, most commonly in healthcare, higher education, and the criminal justice or social service systems. It denotes a renewed admission following a prior separation.

In healthcare, readmission most often refers to a patient returning to a hospital for acute care within a defined time frame after discharge, frequently 30 days. This 30-day readmission rate is used as a quality metric and can influence funding or penalties in some health systems. Causes include progression of illness, complications, inadequate discharge planning, insufficient follow-up, medication issues, and barriers to care outside the hospital. Hospitals pursue strategies to reduce readmissions, such as thorough discharge instructions, scheduled follow-up appointments, medication reconciliation, patient education, and post-discharge outreach or home visits.

In higher education, readmission refers to reinstating a student who has left the institution or taken a leave of absence. Policies vary by school and may require meeting academic or financial remediation, approval from an academic committee, or completion of specified conditions before re-enrollment.

Readmission can also occur in other settings, including social services and, less commonly, the corrections system, where individuals may be readmitted to care facilities or institutions after re-entry. Ethical and administrative considerations include consent, capacity, continuity of care, and the appropriateness of the reintegration plan.

Related terms include relapse, which describes a return of illness without a new admission, and reincarceration, the return to custody after release. Readmission is thus a broad concept tied to the continuity of care, education, and supervision.