Which metric is commonly used to assess hospital readmission rates?

The metric used to assess hospital readmission rates is the percentage of readmission rate within a specified time frame. This measurement specifically quantifies how many patients return to the hospital for treatment after being discharged, typically within 30 days. This percentage is critical for evaluating the quality of care provided by healthcare facilities, as higher readmission rates can indicate potential issues in patient management, care transitions, or the effectiveness of treatment protocols.

Monitoring this metric helps hospitals identify areas for improvement in care processes, as well as assess the outcomes for discharged patients. In healthcare quality management, reducing unnecessary readmissions is a key goal, as it not only improves patient outcomes and satisfaction but can also have financial implications due to penalties or reduced reimbursements tied to high readmission rates.

The other options do not directly relate to assessing readmission rates; for instance, patient complaints measure patient satisfaction and experience rather than readmission frequency, the total number of patients treated reflects overall capacity and service delivery instead of specific patient outcomes, and the average length of patient stay pertains to hospitalization duration rather than tracking follow-up care or readmissions.