When a patient is deemed healthy enough to be discharged but is unable to do so because plans for their ongoing assistance and care have not yet been finalized, this is referred to as a delayed discharge.
The use of nurse-led release protocols, multi-agency discharge protocols to enhance multidisciplinary working, home-based rehabilitation services, and transitional care interventions are the main methods being used to eliminate discharge delays. (Harari, Hopper, Dhesi, Babic-Illman, Lockwood & Martin 2007). The choices are not always the best because, in contrast to obtaining a release from a single person, the pattern of discharge includes approval from various people in various departments, which typically takes five to six hours. There is always room for change when it comes to the discharge of patients, and indeed, more can still be done as such an initiative can take on technology as a facilitator. In this day and millennium where the world is a global village through technology it has become increasingly hard not to incorporate technology into everything, hence the use of electronic charts and medical records, which allow regular updates of medical observations and treatment are thus making the discharge process much more manageable (Harari, Hopper, Dhesi, Babic-Illman, Lockwood & Martin 2007). The hospital could also improve the care coordination by having an integrated hospital information system that connects all departments. The initiative will make the discharge of patients seamless as all agencies that are concerned will be able to facilitate clearance at the earliest time of convenience.
The hospital can take measures such as a suggestion box to get feedback on their services towards discharging patients. Also, they can set goals and targets which will regularly be re-evaluated to ensure they are followed and attained.
The hospital ensures effectiveness in discharging its patients through the use of the lean sigma which uses a five-step approach to process with the intent of facilitating quality improvement. The sigma aims to re-evaluate and analyze while focusing on improving the patient's experience through achieving the expected results.
Reference
Harari, D., Hopper, A., Dhesi, J., Babic-Illman, G., Lockwood, L., & Martin, F. (2007). Proactive care of older people undergoing surgery (‘POPS’): designing, embedding, evaluating and funding a comprehensive geriatric assessment service for older elective surgical patients. Age and ageing, 36(2), 190-196.
