Methodological challenges in the study of hospital readmissions

Throughout the literature on hospital readmission, little has been written about what is an optimal rate of rehospitalization and the definition of preventable hospitalization. Therefore, the research on hospital readmissions aids in the understanding of variation in the phenomenon but does not necessarily set goals or standards of practice. Using secondary data rather than primary data does not preclude careful thought regarding the operationalization of each variable under study. The optimal time to initiate that process is at the early conceptual phase of a project. As researchers and clinicians proceed with planning a readmission study, reviewing these six categories of methodological issues will assist in producing a carefully designed definition of readmission.