Readmission in patients with hematologic malignancies: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

In 30 seconds

This systematic review and meta-analysis quantified readmission rates across follow-up windows in patients with hematologic malignancies and assessed associated factors. It included 104 studies. Among hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) recipients, pooled readmission was 33.19% within 7 days, 23.93% within 30 days, and 56.55% within one year. Among patients not undergoing HSCT, the pooled 30-day rate was 21.54%. Rates varied by transplantation type at several follow-up points, while 30-day rates across disease groups in non-HSCT patients did not differ significantly.

Key findings

• Among HSCT recipients, pooled readmission rates ranged from 23.93% within 30 days to 56.55% within one year.
• For patients not undergoing HSCT, pooled readmission rates were 21.54% within 30 days, 36.12% within 90 days, and 35.81% within 180 days.
• Among non-HSCT patients, 30-day readmission rates were 22.20% for leukemia, 13.67% for lymphoma, and 26.67% for multiple myeloma; subgroup differences were not significant (P = 0.458).
• Among HSCT recipients, readmission rates differed by transplantation type at 30, 100, and 180 days and one year.

Why it matters

Readmission is common across hematologic malignancies, with pooled rates varying by follow-up window and transplant status. These estimates provide context for interpreting hospital use after treatment and highlight that early and later readmissions may reflect different influences, including acute treatment complications and transplant-related morbidity.

What to keep in mind

The estimates combine studies with differing follow-up windows and patient groups; the abstract reports heterogeneity but does not provide its magnitude.