A state-wide survey of 10 Victorian hospitals revealed that only 40% performed same-day discharge following elective PCI, often using conservative patient selection criteria.
Cross-Sectional (n=10)
Yes
Same-day discharge after elective PCI is underutilized in Victoria, Australia, with significant variation and conservative criteria among the few adopting hospitals.
Abstract Background Same-day discharge following elective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is safe, cost-effective, and widely accepted by patients 1, 2; however, same-day discharge is not commonly used across 34 Victorian hospitals, with state-level data highlighting significant variation in practices and levels of implementation 3. Purpose This study aimed to explore the variation in practices and implementation from the perspectives of cardiac interventionalists and nurse unit managers of the cardiac catheterisation laboratories across Victorian hospitals. Methods A state-wide cross-sectional online survey was conducted from November 2025 to January 2026. A researcher-developed survey contained 22 questions across four sections, including hospital characteristics, same-day discharge practices, same-day discharge criteria, and factors influencing the implementation, with a final open-ended question. One interventional cardiologist and one laboratory nurse unit manager from each hospital were invited to complete the survey jointly. Descriptive statistics and content analyses of open-ended questions were conducted. Results A total of ten responses, representing ten hospitals (80% public and 20% private), were received, contributing to a response rate of 29.4%. The median annual PCI volume was 450, ranging from 100 to 1000. The number of weekly elective PCI cases varied from 1 to 15, and the number of weekly same-day discharge cases was one or two. Out of the ten hospitals, only four performed same-day discharge. Although same-day discharge criteria varied across the four hospitals, they were generally conservative, often limiting patients under 75 years, radial only, and single vessel disease. Responses from six hospitals indicated their intention to promote same-day discharge in the next 12 months and were supportive of standardised state-wide inclusion and exclusion criteria for same-day discharge. Content analysis revealed factors that facilitated implementation, including the bed pressure, clinician awareness of same-day discharge, and their willingness to work towards a standard of care. Barriers identified included clinician resistance, concerns about access to prompt medical attention in regional areas, and conservative criteria that make only rare candidates suitable for same-day discharge. Conclusion This state-wide survey demonstrates that same-day discharge has not been widely implemented in Victorian hospitals, and where it is in place, the criteria are often conservative. The findings highlight a substantial opportunity to strengthen consistency and broaden safe same-day discharge criteria across the state.
Chen et al. (Wed,) conducted a cross-sectional in Elective percutaneous coronary intervention (n=10). Same-day discharge practices was evaluated on Hospitals performing same-day discharge. A state-wide survey of 10 Victorian hospitals revealed that only 40% performed same-day discharge following elective PCI, often using conservative patient selection criteria.