Lower Rehospitalization Rates Among Rural Medicare Beneficiaries With Diabetes

Abstract

The factors that contribute to hospital readmissions are complex; our findings indicate that access to follow-up care is highly associated with having a readmission. It is possible that residents of remote rural counties may not receive necessary readmissions due to lower availability of such follow-up care. Policy makers should continue to monitor this apparent disparity to determine the impact of these lower rates on both patients and hospitals alike.