re-hospitalization
|re-hos-pi-tal-i-za-tion|
🇺🇸
/ˌriːˌhɑːspɪtəlaɪˈzeɪʃən/
🇬🇧
/ˌriːhɒspɪtəlaɪˈzeɪʃ(ə)n/
being admitted to hospital again
Etymology
're-hospitalization' originates from English, specifically the prefix 're-' meaning 'again' combined with the noun 'hospitalization', where 'hospitalization' is formed from 'hospital' + the suffix '-ization' indicating 'process or result'.
'hospitalization' developed in modern English by adding the nominalizing suffix '-ization' to 'hospital' (from Middle English 'hospital', from Old French 'hospital', ultimately from Latin 'hospitale'/'hospes'). The compound 're-hospitalization' is a modern formation using the productive prefix 're-'.
Initially, words related to 'hospital' referred to lodging or hospitality for guests; over time 'hospital' narrowed to mean an institution for the sick, and 'hospitalization' came to mean the act of admitting someone to the hospital. 'Re-hospitalization' specifically came to mean being admitted again.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the act or process of being admitted to a hospital again after having been discharged.
The study tracked rates of re-hospitalization within 30 days of discharge.
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Noun 2
a statistic or outcome measure used in healthcare to indicate how often patients return to hospital after discharge.
High re-hospitalization rates can indicate gaps in post-discharge care.
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Last updated: 2026/01/04 08:34