Inequities in Hospital Readmissions After Childbirth

Hospital readmission after discharge is considered a measure of quality of care. Investigators examined risk for readmission after vaginal and cesarean delivery in >200,000 women who delivered in Connecticut from 2005 through 2012.

After cesarean delivery, rates of readmission per 1000 women were 12.9 for white women, 21.4 for Hispanic women, and 28.9 for black women. Following vaginal delivery, readmission rates were 7.5 for white women, 10.7 for Hispanic women, and 14.6 for black women (P<0.001 for all rates). Adjustment for comorbid conditions and payer status attenuated, but did not eliminate, these racial differences. Aside from racial differences, hypertension, diabetes, and infection were associated with higher risk for readmission af…