‘Well, what are you going to do when you’re out there?’: a scoping review of successful hospital discharge for people with acquired disability and complex needs aged 18–65 years

Background Young adults with acquired disability and complex support needs often experience significant delays to hospital discharge, resulting in high costs for hospital systems and poor outcomes for people with acquired disability. A scoping review was completed to explore the components of successful hospital discharge for people with acquired disability and complex support needs aged 18–65 years. Methods A systematic search of five databases was completed to identify studies that reported on hospital discharge outcomes for young people with acquired disability and complex support needs. Results Many experiences of hospital discharge were characterised by delays, unmet needs and poor implementation of supports that align with an individual’s needs and preferences. Components of a successful discharge included coordination and continuity of care from admission through to discharge and transition back to the community; the involvement of people with acquired disability and close others in discharge planning; and sufficient preparation for discharge, such as arranging timely and appropriate housing and community supports. Each of these individual components of discharge was influenced by the quality of communication between stakeholders throughout the discharge trajectory. Conclusion Improving coordination of care, early initiation of applications for funding and supports and involvement of people with acquired disability and close others may enhance positive outcomes of hospital discharges for people with complex needs.