Key result
Provider interviews reveal 5 major discharge challenges involving planning, coordination, time constraints, and patient engagement.
Why the study?
Optimising the discharge process for internal medicine programs is challenging due to social and practical constraints during transitions from hospital to home, prompting an exploration of healthcare professionals' perspectives during organisational reform.
This qualitative study highlights the challenges healthcare professionals face in the discharge process, emphasizing the need for iterative planning, coordination, and adequate resources.
May guide local discharge improvements; hypothesis-generating for interventional trials.
Optimising the discharge process for internal medicine programs is a challenge given multiple social and practical constraints in transitions from hospital to home. The objective of this study is to explore healthcare professionals' perspectives on discharge processes in internal medicine within a context of organisational reform. This is an interpretive descriptive qualitative study using in-depth individual interviews with healthcare providers. Seventeen semi-structured interviews were conducted. The study comprised a sample of 18 healthcare professionals working on two internal medicine wards in an acute care teaching hospital in Quebec. A conceptual framework comprising core aspects of the discharge process (planning, coordination, teaching and outcomes) guided data collection and analysis. Thematic analysis was applied to analyse the data. Major themes were developed by contrasting empirical data and the conceptual framework. Five themes were developed (1) Iterative discharge planning; (2) Patient and family engagement in discharge planning and discharge readiness, (3) Lack of time for discharge teaching, (4) Discharge coordination and the placement of patients and (5) Inequitable social support and resources and risk of readmission. This study highlights the inter-relationship between discharge readiness and phases of the discharge process, in particular planning and coordination. Iterative planning along with strategies to coordinate discharge constitute efforts to ensure flexible processes that respond to patients' needs and preferences. Challenges persist for healthcare professionals regarding autonomy and resources, along with reduced opportunities for patient and family engagement in decision-making.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Charlebois et al. (2022) studied Discharge process in internal medicine (n=18). Interviews with 18 healthcare professionals identified 5 major themes regarding the discharge process, highlighting challenges in planning, coordination, time constraints, and patient engagement.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: