People often express a preference for dying in a home setting rather than in hospital. In emergency departments (EDs), system pressures and the complexity of organising discharges mean that people who are approaching the end of life may be admitted to and die in hospital, even when discharging them to their preferred place may have been indicated and feasible. A rapid discharge checklist can support the process of safely and efficiently discharging patients at the end of life from the ED. It outlines essential steps in the discharge process, including confirming the suitability of discharge, liaising with community services, prescribing anticipatory medicines, and arranging equipment and transport. This article discusses rapid ED discharge checklists for patients at the end of life, outlining the positive outcomes of their implementation in one ED in England. Embedding such checklists into routine ED practice would support emergency nurses to contribute to person-centred and dignified care for patients at the end of life.
Cook et al. (Tue,) studied this question.