Developing and testing a discharge planning decision support tool for hospitalized pediatric patients

Area of Science:

• Pediatric healthcare research
• Clinical decision support systems
• Health services research

Background:

• Discharge planning is crucial for pediatric patients.
• Variability exists in identifying patients for early discharge planning.
• Optimizing discharge planning improves patient outcomes and resource allocation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a decision support tool (DST).
• The DST aims to identify pediatric patients benefiting from early discharge planner consultation.
• Enhance the efficiency and consistency of the discharge planning process.

Main Methods:

• A predictive, correlational research design was employed.
• Data collected via interviews and medical record reviews from 197 pediatric patients and their guardians.
• Expert consensus guided the determination of referral criteria for discharge planning.

Main Results:

• The study included pediatric patients aged 1 month to 18 years.
• Forty percent (n=79) of patients were identified for early referral.
• Substantial post-acute care needs demonstrated the strongest association with expert consensus for referral (AUC = 0.79).

Conclusions:

• Preliminary evidence supports the utility of the developed DST.
• The tool can standardize patient identification for early discharge planning.
• Systematic matching of patient needs to service delivery reduces decision-making variability.