Socioeconomic status can be an indicator of adverse events for patients.
A study in Annals of Internal Medicine found patients residing in a "disadvantaged U.S. neighborhood" tend to see higher 30-day readmission rates.
Researchers examined a national sample of Medicare patients discharged with congestive heart failure, pneumonia or a heart attack between 2004 and 2009.
They found the average 30-day rehospitalization rate among the least disadvantaged 85 percent of neighborhoods was 21 percent. However, the rehospitalization rate increased to 27 percent for the most disadvantaged 15 percent of hospitals.
Researchers suggest measures of neighborhood disadvantage could be used to inform policy and care after hospital discharges.
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