Readiness for Hospital Discharge Scale for older people: psychometric testing and short form development with a three country sample

Theoretical concepts and instruments for measuring hospital discharge readiness: A scoping review

Background

The Discharge Readiness of adult patients in a hospital setting is a multidimensional concept which is becoming increasingly important internationally as part of discharge planning. To date, there has been a lack of reviews of existing measurement instruments as well as theoretical concepts of discharge readiness.

Objective

To provide an overview of existing measurement instruments and theoretical concepts regarding readiness for hospital discharge in adult patients.

Design and methods

A scoping review was conducted in accordance with the Joanna Briggs Institute methodological manual and PRISMA ScR reporting principles. A literature search was conducted using the CINAHL and LIVIVO databases (including MEDLINE and PSYINDEX) in October 2021. After test screening, all identified articles were screened by two independent reviewers using predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria before the content was extracted and mapped.

Results

Of the 1823 records identified, 107 were included in this review. Of these, 30 studies were included as development or validation studies of measurement instruments assessing discharge readiness, 68 were included as empirical studies with readiness for hospital discharge as the primary outcome or key concept, and nine publications were included as theoretical papers or reviews. Five dimensions of readiness for hospital discharge were extracted:1) Physical, 2) Psychological, 3) Education and Knowledge, 4) Adequate Individual Support, and 5) Social and Organisational Determinants. Of the 47 instruments identified for measuring discharge readiness, 33 were validated. The Readiness for Hospital Discharge Scale (RHDS) was the most frequently used instrument.

Conclusions

The systematic measurement of readiness for hospital discharge, particularly from the patient's perspective combined with the nurse's perspective, might be useful in reducing negative outcomes such as readmissions. This review provides an overview of existing and validated instruments for the systematic assessment of discharge readiness in acute inpatient care, as well as an overview of the theoretical concepts of readiness for hospital discharge. Further research is needed on the relationship between organisational determinants and readiness for discharge.

Improving patient activation with a tailored nursing discharge teaching intervention for multimorbid inpatients: A quasi-experimental study

OBJECTIVE

Preliminary effectiveness test of a novel structured personalized discharge teaching intervention for multimorbid inpatients.

METHODS

Using a 2-group sequential pre/post-intervention design, the sample comprised 68 pre-intervention control group and 70 post- intervention group participants. The discharge teaching intervention by trained clinical nurses used structured tools to engage patients and individualize discharge teaching. Outcomes measures included Patient Activation Measure, Readiness for Hospital Discharge Scale, Discharge Care Experiences Survey, and readmission with 10 days post-discharge.

RESULTS

The intervention had a statistically significant positive effect on improving patient activation (M=4.8; p = 0.05) from admission to post-discharge. The participation subscale of the Discharge Care Experiences Survey was higher in the intervention (M=4.1, SD=0.7) than the control group (M=3.8, SD=0.7; t (127)= -2.79, p = .01, effect size= .34). There were no significant between-group differences in Readiness for Hospital Discharge Scale and readmission.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest that a structured personalized discharge teaching intervention can improve patient activation and participation in discharge care. Further refinement of the intervention is needed to evaluate and improve specific components of the intervention.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Structured personalized discharge teaching should include patient engagement strategies in the teaching-learning process.

Impact of COVID-19 visitation policies and hospital capacity on discharge readiness in medicine patients

Background

COVID-19 impacted the experience of being hospitalized with the widespread adoption of strict visitation policies to ensure healthcare worker safety. One result was decreased time of caregivers at the bedside of hospitalized patients.

Objective

To understand the impact of pandemic-related system effects on patient-reported discharge preparation.

Design

This mixed methods study included interviews with a sample of discharged patients during April 2020, and quantitative hospital data from April 2020 to February 2021.

Participants

616 patients completed a measure of discharge readiness on their day of discharge and 38 patients completed interviews about their discharge experiences.

Main measures

Readiness for discharge (RHDS), visitation policies, ward structure changes, COVID-19-unit census, time into the COVID-19 pandemic, patient characteristics (age, sex, race/ethnicity), admission type (planned/unplanned, for COVID-19), and discharge destination (home, home health, skilled nursing).

Key results

Adult patients aged 30-45 (vs. young and older adult patients) and those being discharged to places other than home (e.g., skilled nursing facility) or to out-of-state residences report lower readiness (p < 0.05) on RHDS. Patient interviews revealed some gaps in discharge communication but, overall, patients expressed high discharge readiness and few concerns about how COVID-19 system changes impacted their discharge preparation.

Conclusions

While there is some evidence that visitation policies and unit census may impact patient perceptions of discharge preparation, personal characteristics contributed more significantly to discharge readiness than system changes during COVID-19. Participant interviews demonstrated agreement, as most participants were discharged home and identified strong personal feelings of readiness for discharge.Clinical trials registration: ClinicalTrials.gov ID NCT04248738, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04248738.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s44250-023-00060-8.

Readiness for hospital discharge post-initial invasive percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage: A mixed-methods study

This study explores perceptions regarding hospital discharge readiness among patients with post-first invasive percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (PTBD), family caregivers, and healthcare providers who are involved during the discharge period. A convergent mixed-method design was applied. A purposive sample of 30 patients completed a scale measuring readiness for hospital discharge, and 30 participants, including patients, family caregivers, and healthcare providers, participated in in-depth interviews. Descriptive analyses were combined with quantitative data, thematic analyses with qualitative data, and joint displays with mixed analyses. Findings indicate that readiness for hospital discharge was high, the expected support subscale was at the highest possible level, and the personal status subscale was at the lowest level. Three main themes emerged from an analysis of the interview transcripts: improved health conditions, self-care knowledge, and homecare preparedness. Self care knowledge had three sub-themes: taking care of biliary drainage, consuming a suitable diet, and observation of abnormal symptoms. Being ready for hospital discharge contributes to a safer transition from hospital to home. Healthcare providers need to reconsider the criteria for discharge and clarify patients' individual needs. Patients, family caregivers, and healthcare providers need to be prepared for hospital discharge.

Correlation between quality of discharge teaching, readiness for hospital discharge and health outcomes of hysterectomy patients: A structural equation model analysis

AIM

To explore the relationship between the quality of discharge teaching, readiness for hospital discharge and postdischarge health outcomes in hysterectomy patients.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional online survey.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey design was used to investigate 331 hysterectomy patients in a hospital in Chengdu. The results were analysed using Spearman's correlation and structural equation model.

RESULTS

Spearman's correlation analysis revealed moderate-to-strong correlations among the quality of discharge teaching, readiness for hospital discharge and postdischarge health outcomes. The total and direct effects of the quality of discharge teaching on patients' readiness for hospital discharge were both 0.70 and readiness for hospital discharge on patients' postdischarge health outcomes were both 0.49. The total, direct and indirect effects of the quality of discharge teaching on patients' postdischarge health outcomes were 0.58, 0.24 and 0.34, respectively. Readiness for hospital discharge mediated the interaction mechanism.

Expressive Arts Therapy Combined with Progressive Muscle Relaxation following Music for Perioperative Patients with Gynecological Malignancies: A Pilot Study

Objective

We aimed to assess the impact of an expressive arts therapy combined with progressive muscle relaxation following music on mental health (anxiety and hope) in patients with gynecological malignancies undergoing surgery.

Methods

This was a nonrandomized controlled trial. Eligible patients had a primary or recurrent gynecological malignancy scheduled to be treated with surgery. The intervention consisted of three sessions (preoperation, postoperation, and predischarge) during the perioperative period. Firstly, before starting the first session of intervention, all patients completed three questionnaires including a Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), a Herth Hope Index (HHI), and a State Anxiety Inventory (SAI), and the intervention group patients also had to complete the SAI questionnaire again after completing the intervention. Secondly, after the second session of intervention, all patients completed the SAI questionnaire, with the intervention group completed the SAI questionnaire before the intervention. Thirdly, after the third session of intervention, all patients completed HHI and SAI questionnaires, with the intervention group completed the SAI questionnaire before the intervention. Also, to subjectively rate the benefit of expressive arts therapy, the intervention group additionally completed a separate, supplemental questionnaire.

Results

A total of 116 patients were enrolled and 110 included in the final analysis. No group differences were found for HHI scores between the intervention and control participants (Cohen's d = 0.19, P=0.31), although there was a substantial improvement in intervention participants' HHI scores compared to the standard care control participants. There was a statistically significant improvement in intervention participants' SAI from preintervention to postintervention of preoperation (Cohen's d = −0.23, P=0.002) and postoperation (Cohen's d = −0.34, P ≤ 0.001). However, no differences were observed for the predischarge period (Cohen's d = −0.09, P=0.118). Besides, a supplemental questionnaire indicated that 52 (98%) patients felt that expressive arts therapy was beneficial.

Conclusions

Expressive art therapy combined with progressive muscle relaxation under music may be of some effect on alleviating perioperative anxiety in patients with gynecologic malignancies. Therefore, further relevant studies with large samples and multicenters are urgently needed to provide a reliable evidence-based basis for perioperative psychological care of patients with gynecologic malignancies and to promote rapid recovery of patients. It is recommended that further art therapy studies to examine the impact of patient-tailored arts therapy interventions on spiritual well-being in patients with gynecological malignancies, especially in the perioperative period.

A systematic review and recommendations for prom instruments for older people with frailty in emergency care

Introduction

The current service metrics used to evaluate quality in emergency care do not account for specific healthcare outcome goals for older people living with frailty. These have previously been classified under themes of ‘Autonomy’ and ‘Functioning’. There is no person-reported outcome measure (PROM) for older people with frailty and emergency care needs. This study aimed to identify and co-produce recommendations for instruments potentially suitable for use in this population.

Methods

In this systematic review, we searched six databases for PROMs used between 2010 and 2021 by older people living with frailty receiving acute hospital care. Studies were reviewed against predefined eligibility criteria and appraised for quality using the COSMIN Risk of Bias checklist. Data were extracted to map instrument constructs against an existing framework of acute healthcare outcome goals. Instrument face and content validity were assessed by lay collaborators. Recommendations for instruments with potential emergency care suitability were formed through co-production.

Results

Of 9392 unique citations screened, we appraised the full texts of 158 studies. Nine studies were identified, evaluating nine PROMs. Quality of included studies ranged from ‘doubtful’ to ‘very good’. Most instruments had strong evidence for measurement properties. PROMs mainly assessed ‘Functioning’ constructs, with limited coverage of ‘Autonomy’. Five instruments were considered too burdensome for the emergency care setting or too specific for older people living with frailty.

Conclusions

Four PROMs were recommended as potentially suitable for further validation with older people with frailty and emergency care needs: COOP/WONCA charts, EuroQol, McGill Quality of Life (Expanded), and Palliative care Outcome Scale.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s41687-022-00438-x.

Development of a Readiness for Hospital Discharge assessment tool in Thai patients with stroke

Background

The transition from hospital to home among patients with stroke is quite challenging. If the patients are not ready for hospital discharge, their condition may worsen, which also causes a high rate of readmission. Although instruments to measure readiness for hospital discharge exist, none of them fit with the Thailand context.

Objective

This study aimed to develop a Readiness for Hospital Discharge assessment tool in Thai patients with stroke.

Methods

The study was conducted from February to September 2020, which consisted of several steps: 1) conducting an extensive literature review, 2) content validity with five experts, 3) pilot testing with 30 samples, and 4) field testing with 348 participants. Content validity index (CVI) was used to measure the content validity, Cronbach's alpha and inter-item correlation to evaluate reliability, and multiple logistic regression analysis to measure the construct validity.

Results

The findings showed good validity and reliability, with I-CVI of 0.85, Cronbach's alpha of 0.94, and corrected item-total correlation ranging from 0.43 to 0.86. The construct validity was demonstrated through the results of regression analysis showing that the nine variables include level of consciousness (OR = 0.544; CI 95% = 0.311 - 0.951), verbal response (OR = 0.445; 95% CI 0.272- 0.729), motor power right leg (OR = 0.165; 95% CI 0.56- 0.485), visual field (OR = 0.188; 95% CI 0.60-0.587), dysphagia (OR = 0.618; 95% CI 0.410-0.932), mobility (OR = 0.376; 95% CI 0.190 - 0.741), self-feeding (OR = 0.098; 95% CI 0.036 -0.265), bathing (OR = 0.099; 95% CI 0.026-0.378), and bladder control (OR = 0.589; 95% CI 0.355-0.977) that significantly influenced the hospital readmission within 30 days in patients with stroke.

Conclusion

The Readiness for Hospital Discharge assessment tool is valid and reliable. Healthcare providers, especially nurses, can use this tool to assess discharge conditions for patients with stroke with greater accuracy in predicting hospital readmission.

Measurement tools that assess the quality of transitional care from patients' perspective: A literature review

AIM

Transitional care is important for improving the quality of life of patients discharged from hospitals. Patient-reported experience measures help improve transitional care quality. Thus, this literature review aimed to identify and appraise measurement tools that assess transitional care quality from the patient's perspective and identify its components.

METHODS

Development and validation studies were systematically searched in the PubMed and CINAHL databases. The review team appraised the methodological quality and statistical results of measurement properties using the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) methodology.

RESULTS

A total of 30 studies and seven instruments were identified. The target population was patients discharged from hospital to a home or nursing home (mean age = 52-84 years). The measurement time was before or after the discharge. The number of items in the original versions of the measures ranged from eight to 41, with short versions ranging from three to 12. The overall methodological quality of structural validity, internal consistency, and hypotheses testing was mostly "very good or adequate," according to COSMIN criteria. However, content validity and development were mostly "inadequate or doubtful" or not reported. The main components of included measures comprised "self-care after discharge," "providing information to the patient," "patient engagement in the care plan," and "dealing with patient's concerns."

CONCLUSION

The quality appraisal results and identified components are useful for choosing measurement tools in clinical practice and research. The Care Transitions Measure is the most widely validated measurement tool.

Postcraniotomy Patients' Readiness for Discharge and Predictors of Their Readiness for Discharge

BACKGROUND

Postcraniotomy individuals should be monitored because of the direct influence on brain function as well as constraints caused by underlying illness. The relationship between demographic and clinical characteristics of postcraniotomy individuals and their readiness for discharge was examined.

METHODS

A descriptive correlational study included 150 individuals. The Readiness for Hospital Discharge Scale and demographic variables were examined using descriptive statistics, correlation, and stepwise multiple linear regression.

RESULTS

The mean postcraniotomy score for the subdimension of knowledge related to readiness for discharge was 5.13 ± 3.04, and mean score for the whole scale was 7.76 ± 1.48. The individuals' age, employment status, presence of a person to provide care at home, poor financial status, and first hospitalization during the lifetime of the patient were statistically significant predictors of their readiness for discharge. This model was statistically significant (F = 25.572, P < .001) and accounted for 57% of the variance in discharge readiness.

CONCLUSION

Patients had moderate levels of readiness for discharge and low levels of discharge-related knowledge. The findings point to the importance of individual approach to the discharge planning.

The factors of patient-reported readiness for hospital discharge in patients with depression: A cross-sectional study

WHAT IS KNOWN ON THE SUBJECT?: The attributes of readiness for hospital discharge (RHD) have been identified to be physical stability, adequate support, psychological ability, and adequate information and knowledge. Patient-reported RHD has been regarded as an outcome indicator, and poor RHD leads to unplanned readmission, emergency department visits and even death. Knowledge regarding patient-reported RHD and its factors among patients with depression is limited. WHAT THE PAPER ADDS TO EXISTING KNOWLEDGE?: RHD among patients with depression is at a moderate level. More than a quarter of people with depression had low RHD. The knowledge dimension of the RHDS among patients with depression should be further strengthened. The length of stay, content received and delivery dimensions of the QDTS were significantly associated with RHD. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE?: This study encourages nurses to assess patient-reported RHD at discharge in mental health settings. Nurses should pay more attention to patients with hospital stays longer than 20 days. Nurses could improve RHD by enhancing the quality of discharge teaching, particularly the content received and the skills nurses used to deliver such content. Nurses' managers could develop programmes to improve teaching skills via Internet technology, such as simulated patients and online interprofessional discharge planning. ABSTRACT: Introduction Low readiness for hospital discharge (RHD) can be followed by negative healthcare outcomes. However, no studies have investigated RHD among patients with depression. Aim This study aimed to examine patient-reported RHD and its factors among patients with depression. Method In total, 367 inpatients with depression were recruited and completed the Readiness for Hospital Discharge Scale (RHDS) and Quality of Discharge Teaching Scale (QDTS). A binary logistic regression analysis was performed to explore the factors of RHD among patients with depression. Results The total RHDS score was 7.70 ± 1.52. Approximately 28.9% of the participants had low RHD (RHDS score < 7). The results revealed that RHD was significantly associated with the length of stay, content received and delivery. Discussion RHD among patients with depression is at a moderate level. More than a quarter of people with depression had low RHD. To improve RHD, enhancing the quality of discharge teaching is imperative for patients with depression. Implications for Practice Nurses should pay more attention to patients with a hospital stay longer than 20 days. Nurses could improve RHD by enhancing the quality of discharge teaching, particularly the content received and the skills nurses used to deliver such content.

Implementation and preliminary testing of a theory-guided nursing discharge teaching intervention for adult inpatients aged 50 and over with multimorbidity: a pragmatic feasibility study protocol

BACKGROUND

Discharge teaching by nurses during hospitalization is essential to provide multimorbid inpatients with the knowledge and skills to self-manage their health conditions. However, available disease-specific teaching guidelines do not address the cumulative complexity of multiple chronic diseases that occur with greater frequency in older adults. Therefore, there is a need for a discharge teaching intervention which uses concepts that specifically address the needs of these patients, such as considering their level of activation (i.e. knowledge, skills and confidence to self-manage their health) and the burden of multimorbid disease. The objectives of this pragmatic study will be to (1) test the feasibility of implementing a nursing discharge teaching intervention and (2) conduct a preliminary test of this novel discharge teaching intervention with adult inpatients age 50 or greater who have multiple comorbid conditions.

METHODS

This study uses a two-group pre-posttest design. Participants are drawn from medical units in three hospitals in the French-speaking part of Switzerland. The implementation of the intervention will be facilitated by implementation strategies from the Theoretical Domains Framework and the Behavior Change Wheel and will target change in nurses' teaching behaviours. Implementation outcomes will include measures of feasibility of the implementation strategies and the intervention process. Participants in the intervention group will receive tailored discharge teaching by trained teaching nurses. Patient outcomes will inform the preliminary testing of the intervention and will be measured with validated questionnaires assessing patients' activation level, health confidence, perceived readiness for discharge, experience with the discharge process and rate of and time to readmission.

DISCUSSION

The study takes a pragmatic approach to examining the feasibility of implementing the discharge teaching intervention to contribute to the knowledge development within the context of the real-world practice setting. Results will provide the foundation for clinical trials to build evidence for widespread adoption of this intervention.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

The trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (ID: NCT04253665 ) on the 30 of January 2020 and has been approved by the Cantonal Ethics Committee Vaud in Switzerland (2020-00141).

Does Feedback to Physicians of a Patient-Reported Readiness for Discharge Checklist Improve Discharge?

Limited data exist describing how hospital discharge readiness checklists might be incorporated into care. To evaluate how assessing patient readiness for discharge effects discharge outcomes. We assessed hospitalized adults' readiness for discharge daily using a checklist. In the first feedback period, readiness data were given to patients, compared to the second feedback period, where data were given to patients and physicians. In the first feedback period, 163 patients completed 296 checklists, and in the second feedback period, 179 patients completed 371 checklists. In the first feedback period, 889 discharge barriers were identified, and 1154 in the second feedback period (P = .27). We found no association between the mean number of discharge barriers by hospital day and whether data were provided to physicians (P = .39). Eighty-nine physicians completed our survey, with 76 (85%) recalling receiving checklist data. Twenty-three (30%) of these thought the data helpful, and 45 (59%) stated it "never" or "rarely" highlighted anything new. Patients continued to report discharge barriers even when physicians received patient-reported data about key discharge transition domains.

The effect of caregiver's and nurse's perception of a patient's discharge readiness on postdischarge medical resource consumption

AIMS

The purpose of this study was to validate patient's primary caregiver and their nurse's perception of patient discharge readiness assessment and their association with postdischarge medical consumption.

DESIGN

The study employed a descriptive research, prospective longitudinal study design.

METHOD

The study was performed in a ward of a medical centre in Taipei, Taiwan, from June 2017-May 2018. Obtained data were analysed using an independent t test, one-way ANOVA and logistic regression approach.

RESULTS/FINDINGS

The number of comorbidities and the number of days of hospital stay were positively associated with post discharge emergency room visits. Caregiver readiness for hospital discharge had significant negative correlation with patient's 30-day readmission. Both caregiver and nurse readiness for the hospital discharge scale score were not factors associated with the patients' 30-day emergency room visit.

CONCLUSION

Based on the research findings, to assess the discharge readiness as perceived by caregivers at patients' discharge is recommended.

IMPACT

Caregiver and nurse scores on readiness for hospital discharge showed a significant positive correlation. The higher the score of a caregiver's readiness for a patient's hospital discharge, the lower the 30-day readmission rate. Family-centred care enables patients to safely pass though the transition phase from hospital to community and reduces the postrelease consumption of medical resources. The discharge readiness perceived by caregivers should be included in any decision-making.

Patient readiness for hospital discharge and its relationship to discharge preparation and structural factors: A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Nursing discharge preparation is vital to successful hospital-to-home transitions. However, despite a wealth of evidence on its effectiveness, little is known of the structure- and process-related factors that facilitate or impede its use in clinical practice. Specifically, the associations between unit size and type, leadership support, skill mix, staffing, nurse and patient characteristics, discharge teaching and patient readiness for discharge have rarely been studied.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to explore the associations between structure-individual characteristics (i.e., unit, nurse and patient characteristics) and process-related (i.e., teaching of self-care and symptom management) factors and patient readiness for hospital discharge.

DESIGN

A secondary data analysis of the multicentre observational "Matching Registered Nurse services with changing care demands (Match^RN)" study.

SETTING AND PERIOD

Data were collected between September 2015 and January 2016 on 123 surgical, medical and mixed units in 23 Swiss acute care hospitals.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 1833 registered nurses and 1755 patients were included in the analyses.

METHODS

Structure-, process- and patient readiness-related hospital discharge variables were assessed using validated items either from existing instruments or self-developed. Multilevel mixed-effects logistic regression was used to test associations.

RESULTS

Fewer than half of the patients hospitalized (47.8%) reported readiness for hospital discharge. Fifty-eight percent reported receiving discharge preparation interventions for self-care and 30% for symptom management. Patients' readiness for hospital discharge was significantly lower in larger units (β = -0.001; 95% confidence interval (CI) = -0.002 to -0.001) and on medical units (β = -0.44; 95% CI = -0.70 to -0.19). Higher nurses' experience (β = .004; 95% CI = 0.001 to 0.01), better patient self-reported health (β = -0.11; 95% CI = -0.17 to -0.05), higher patient ratings of self-care teaching (β = 1.33; 95% CI = 1.07-1.59) and symptom management teaching (β = 0.79; 95% CI = 0.52-1.06) were significantly associated with greater patient readiness for hospital discharge.

CONCLUSIONS

Patient readiness for hospital discharge is associated with process- and structure-related factors. Our findings suggest that, for successful uptake in clinical practice, the development and implementation of effective discharge preparation programs should consider the structural context, i.e., patient population, unit size, and experience of nurses within the team. Further research, using a more accurate measure of patient readiness for hospital discharge, is needed to test associations with the nurse work environment and staffing.

Cross-cultural adaptation of the instrument Readiness for Hospital Discharge Scale - Adult Form

ABSTRACT Objective: to perform the cross-cultural adaptation of the Readiness for Hospital Discharge Scale - (RHDS) Adult Form for use in Brazil. Method: a methodological study was conducted in 2015, in Brazil’s federal capital, following the eight stages scientifically established. Results: analysis proved the maintenance of semantic, idiomatic, cultural, and conceptual equivalences and kept both the face and content validity of the original version. The judging committee and the pre-test participants declared they understood the RHDS items and answer scale. Conclusion: the instrument is culturally adapted for Brazil and can be used as one of the stages for planning hospital discharge.

Readiness for hospital discharge: A concept analysis

AIM

To report on an analysis on the concept of 'readiness for hospital discharge'.

BACKGROUND

No uniform operational definition of 'readiness for hospital discharge' exists in the literature; therefore, a concept analysis is required to clarify the concept and identify an up-to-date understanding of readiness for hospital discharge. Clarity of the concept will identify all uses of the concept; provide conceptual clarity, an operational definition and direction for further research.

DESIGN

Literature review and concept analysis.

METHOD

A review of literature was conducted in 2016. Databases searched were: Academic Search Complete, CINAHL Plus with Full Text, PsycARTICLES, Psychology and Behavioural Sciences Collection, PsycINFO, Social Sciences Full Text (H.W. Wilson) and SocINDEX with Full Text. No date limits were applied.

RESULTS

Identification of the attributes, antecedents and consequences of readiness for hospital discharge led to an operational definition of the concept. The following attributes belonging to 'readiness for hospital discharge' were extracted from the literature: physical stability, adequate support, psychological ability, and adequate information and knowledge.

CONCLUSION

This analysis contributes to the advancement of knowledge in the area of hospital discharge, by proposing an operational definition of readiness for hospital discharge, derived from the literature. A better understanding of the phenomenon will assist healthcare professionals to recognize, measure and implement interventions where necessary, to ensure patients are ready for hospital discharge and assist in the advancement of knowledge for all professionals involved in patient discharge from hospital.