Impact of Infectious Diseases on Readmission Patterns in Low-resource Hospitals

Abstract

Infectious diseases remain a major cause of morbidity and mortality in low-resource hospital settings, and they significantly influence hospital readmission patterns. Readmissions following infectious disease hospitalization are often driven by incomplete treatment, complications, comorbidities, socio-economic barriers, and limited access to post-discharge care. In resource limited settings, challenges such as overcrowded facilities, inadequate diagnostic capacity, poor infection control, and weak follow-up systems exacerbate the risk of readmissions. Common infectious diseases contributing to repeat hospitalizations include HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, pneumonia, diarrheal illnesses, and neonatal infections. High readmission rates due to infectious diseases have implications for patient outcomes, hospital resource utilization, and health system efficiency. Interventions such as strengthened discharge planning, community health worker programs, enhanced infection control measures, patient education, and improved access to follow-up care have been shown to reduce infectious disease-related readmissions. This article examines the epidemiology of infectious disease readmissions, identifies contributing factors, explores the consequences for patients and health systems, and discusses evidence-based strategies to mitigate readmission risks in low-resource hospitals. Keywords: Infectious diseases, hospital readmissions, low-resource hospitals, HIV, tuberculosis, pneumonia, post-discharge care, health system capacity.