New Haven, CT (September 17, 2026) – A new study from physicians at Yale New Haven Hospital (YNHH) challenges a common assumption in healthcare – patients who return to the hospital within seven days of discharge are experiencing a preventable event.
Published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, the study found that only about 10 percent of seven-day hospital readmissions could have potentially been prevented through improvements in inpatient care or discharge planning. The vast majority were linked to chronic disease progression, new illnesses or injuries or behavioral health and substance use-related conditions.
Study authors reviewed 244 hospital readmissions among adult patients who returned to YNHH within seven days of discharge in 2025. While hospital readmissions are often used as a quality metric, the findings suggest that many early returns to the hospital may reflect the severity and complexity of patients’ underlying conditions rather than shortcomings in hospital care.
“Hospitals have invested heavily in reducing readmissions, but our study suggests that many patients who return within seven days are facing underlying health challenges that cannot be solved through discharge planning alone,” said Erin McKnight, MD, associate director of the Hospitalist Service at Yale New Haven Hospital and assistant clinical professor of General Internal Medicine at Yale School of Medicine. “To make meaningful progress, we need stronger support systems that extend beyond the hospital and into the community.”
The study also found that nearly 70 percent of patients who were readmitted had been hospitalized at least once in the previous year, and one in five died within six months of their readmission, underscoring the significant health challenges faced by this population.
The results point to the need for stronger outpatient support systems, particularly for patients with advanced illness and those struggling with mental health or substance use disorders.
“Reducing readmissions requires looking beyond the hospital walls,” said Nancy Kim, MD, PhD, senior medical director of Care Signature for Yale New Haven Health and associate clinical professor of General Internal Medicine at Yale School of Medicine. “Expanding access to palliative care, substance abuse treatment and coordinated community-based services may have a greater impact than additional hospital-based interventions alone.”
Yale New Haven Health (YNHHS), one of the largest and most comprehensive healthcare systems in Connecticut, is recognized for advanced clinical care, quality, service, cost effectiveness and commitment to improving the health status of the communities it serves. YNHHS includes five hospitals – Bridgeport, Greenwich, Lawrence + Memorial, Westerly and Yale New Haven hospitals, several specialty networks and Northeast Medical Group, a non-profit medical foundation with several hundred community-based and hospital-employed physicians. YNHHS is affiliated with Yale University and Yale Medicine, the clinical practice of the Yale School of Medicine and the largest academic multi-specialty practice in New England. Yale New Haven Hospital is the primary teaching hospital of Yale School of Medicine. www.ynhhs.org
