TY  - GEN
AB  - Older people are particularly vulnerable to hospital re-presentation following discharge. Ideal discharge planning processes facilitate the transition from hospital to home and prevent subsequent re-presentations to hospital. The objective of this study was to examine discharge planning processes in two Australian hospitals, compare them between sites and to best-practice recommendations. An ethnographic observational study of discharge planning processes was conducted at two general medical inpatient wards at a large tertiary hospital and a smaller regional hospital in Brisbane, Australia. Participants were patients and ward staff involved in discharge planning during a hospital admission. A literature review was conducted to elicit best-practice recommendations for discharge planning. Data for this study (duration: 112 h) were collected directly using field notes by a research assistant embedded in the ward. A directed qualitative content analysis approach was used for data analysis. Results were compared to best-practice recommendations. Findings indicate that both hospitals implemented various best-practice interventions to enhance communication, collaboration, coordination and patient/family engagement for optimal discharge planning. Strategies used were context specific and effective to varying degrees. Clear responsibilities and goals within the multidisciplinary team helped to create cohesive, well-functioning teams. More work is needed to engage patients and families in discharge planning, and to encourage health professionals to consider patients and family as active team members in the discharge planning process.
AD  - Centre for Allied Health Research, Metro North Hospital and Health Service, Brisbane, Australia ; School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia ; Centre for Functioning and Health Research, Metro South Hospital and Health Service, Brisbane, Australia ; Physiotherapy Department, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, Australia
AD  - Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Hong Kong ; HESAV School of Health Sciences, HES-SO University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland
AD  - Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia
AD  - Centre for Allied Health Research, Metro North Hospital and Health Service, Brisbane, Australia
AD  - Caboolture Hospital, Metro North Hospital and Health Service, Caboolture, Australia
AD  - Centre for Health Services Research, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
AU  - Gane, Elise M.
AU  - Schoeb, Veronika
AU  - Cornwell, Petrea
AU  - Ranatunga Cooray, Cassandra
AU  - Cowie, Brooke
AU  - Comans, Tracy A.
DA  - 2022-02
DO  - 10.3390/healthcare10020202
DO  - DOI
ID  - 9367
JF  - Healthcare
KW  - discharge planning
KW  - communication
KW  - qualitative research
KW  - geriatric assessment
KW  - older adults
KW  - hospital organization
LA  - eng
N2  - Older people are particularly vulnerable to hospital re-presentation following discharge. Ideal discharge planning processes facilitate the transition from hospital to home and prevent subsequent re-presentations to hospital. The objective of this study was to examine discharge planning processes in two Australian hospitals, compare them between sites and to best-practice recommendations. An ethnographic observational study of discharge planning processes was conducted at two general medical inpatient wards at a large tertiary hospital and a smaller regional hospital in Brisbane, Australia. Participants were patients and ward staff involved in discharge planning during a hospital admission. A literature review was conducted to elicit best-practice recommendations for discharge planning. Data for this study (duration: 112 h) were collected directly using field notes by a research assistant embedded in the ward. A directed qualitative content analysis approach was used for data analysis. Results were compared to best-practice recommendations. Findings indicate that both hospitals implemented various best-practice interventions to enhance communication, collaboration, coordination and patient/family engagement for optimal discharge planning. Strategies used were context specific and effective to varying degrees. Clear responsibilities and goals within the multidisciplinary team helped to create cohesive, well-functioning teams. More work is needed to engage patients and families in discharge planning, and to encourage health professionals to consider patients and family as active team members in the discharge planning process.
PY  - 2022-02
SN  - 2227-9032
T1  - Discharge planning of older persons from hospital :comparison of observed practice to recommended best practice
TI  - Discharge planning of older persons from hospital :comparison of observed practice to recommended best practice
VL  - 2022, vol. 10, no. 2, art. 202
Y1  - 2022-02
ER  -