Post-hospitalization concerns of medical-surgical patients

In response to the phenomenon of earlier-than-ever discharge, the post-hospitalization concerns of medical-surgical patients were investigated in a descriptive survey conducted in physicians' offices and clinics. The 150 recently discharged patients typically identified multiple concerns including understanding their progress, activity, insurance, medications, and pain control. Differences were found in number of concerns according to age, gender, length of hospital stay, type of treatment (medical or surgical), and perceived presence or absence of discharge planning.