However, it is important to note that these outcomes are dependent on having best practice standards in place to provide the structures, processes and resources needed by practicing health professionals. Outcomes such as improved patient satisfaction and reduced rebound admissions have been measured and can be attributed to discharge planning. 7ĭischarge planning is a subject of continuing interest, particularly to nurses, as nurses have a significant role in facilitating hospital discharge. 7 Discharge planning is considered crucial to improving the patient's experience of care, but many aspects of this important process are poorly implemented and the planning needs of diverse patient groups are not well understood or accommodated. A lack of discharge education can leave patients with discontinuity of care and lead to risk taking in self-management, increasing the odds of adverse effects and readmission. This array of discharge information may be delivered to the patient informally, without structural consideration of the patient's knowledge needs. When patients are discharged from the hospital to home, they may or may not receive a variety of information about how to care for themselves, which medications to take and when, adverse effects to monitor, and whom to call if they have questions. 6 In spite of the significance to the quality of care delivery, organizations and patients, there is a general lack of approach based on scientific evidence. 5 The impact of inadequate discharge planning includes prolonged hospital stays, hospital readmissions, breaks in continuity of care as well as increased costs. 4Īlthough discharge planning is a routine feature of health systems, 40-50% of all hospital readmissions have been attributed to social problems and lack of access to community services, which adequate discharge planning is intended to circumvent. The third process is discharge coordination, which involves implementing actions targeted to smoothing the transition from hospital, anticipating and reducing problems after discharge through arranging, linking and sequencing support services across providers and care delivery systems. 2,3 The second process is focused on patient preparation through discharge teaching – educational interventions that occur mainly during hospitalization to prepare the patient and family for the transition from hospital to home. ![]() Preadmission assessment includes case-finding on admission, leading to inpatient assessment and preparation of a discharge plan based on individualized needs within an interdisciplinary team context. 1 Comprehensive discharge planning can be considered as a series of inter-related processes. ![]() Discharge planning is an interdisciplinary process that assesses the patient's need for follow-up care after leaving the hospital and makes arrangements for that care, whether self-care, care provided by family members, care from health professionals or a combination of these options.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |