A delayed discharge refers to a situation where a patient is considered to be well enough for release, but they are unable to leave because arrangements for continuing support and care have yet to be concluded.
The primary efforts in eliminating discharge delays are the use of nurse-led discharge procedures and multi-agency discharge protocols to improve multi-disciplinary working, And through the use of home-based rehabilitation services and transitional care interventions (Harari, Hopper, Dhesi, Babic-Illman, Lockwood & Martin 2007). The options are not necessarily optimal as the pattern of discharge involves clearance from different people in different departments which roughly take five to six hours, unlike getting a release from a single individual.
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.
