Understanding the Public Health Burden of Hospital Readmissions in Resource-limited Health Systems
1 Western Illinois University, USA.
2 University of Nevada, Reno, USA.
Review
International Journal of Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences Archive, 2025, 10(01), 093-105.
Article DOI: 10.53771/ijbpsa.2025.10.1.0062
Publication history:
Received on 20 January 2023; revised on 30 January 2023; accepted on 12 February 2023
Abstract:
Hospital readmissions are a significant and growing concern for health systems globally, particularly in resource-limited settings where capacity, funding, and infrastructure are limited. This journal examines the public health burden of hospital readmissions in such contexts, emphasizing their causes, consequences, and potential solutions. Readmissions contribute to increased healthcare costs, reduced care efficiency, and heightened patient morbidity and mortality. In under-resourced health environments, these impacts are worsened by limited access to primary care, inadequate discharge planning, neglect of proper medication, and insufficient post-discharge follow-up.
The paper reviews epidemiological trends, systemic and patient-level determinants, and key metrics for measuring the burden of readmissions. It also discusses intervention strategies such as transitional care models, community-based programs, and digital health innovations tailored for low-resource environments. Case studies from sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia are used to illustrate the operational and policy challenges. The paper argues for stronger integration between hospital and community health systems, robust data collection mechanisms, and policy reforms focused on reducing avoidable readmissions to enhance overall system resilience and patient outcomes.
Keywords:
Hospital readmissions; Resource-limited settings; Public health; Transitional care; Health system resilience; Patient safety
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Copyright © 2025 Author(s) retain the copyright of this article. This article is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Liscense 4.0