30-day all-cause readmission rates among a cohort of individuals with rare conditions.

The study used data from one state, South Carolina, so the rates may not apply elsewhere. It used diagnosis codes and billing data, not clinical detail, so it could not measure disease severity, complications during hospitalization, or quality of care after discharge. Many people had missing race/ethnicity information, and the comparison cohort was not drawn from the electronic medical record source. The sample was limited to people who used the health care system, so it does not describe all people with these conditions. The number of visits by condition was too small to analyze why people were readmitted by specific rare condition. No therapy, discharge program, or other intervention was tested.

The authors state they have no conflicts of interest. The supplied publication types include Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S., but the article text does not name a specific funder.

Do not read the 44.0% readmission rate as proof that hospitals provided poor care or that a specific therapy would prevent readmission. The study is observational and did not measure disease severity, complications, or quality of care.