Principles for discharging patients from acute care: a scoping review of policy

Acute medicine units (AMUs) are part of acute hospital care, where length of patient stay is short and turnover is high. Expediting patient discharge safely is a major function of AMUs, which need up-to-date bespoke guidance.

To carry out a scoping review of UK discharge policy to critically consider, compare and contrast the relevant discharge policies and guidance that underpin the assessment of acute patient discharge.

To inform the production of bespoke patient discharge guidance for AMUs. Design and stages: Identify the review questions; identify relevant studies; select the studies; chart the data; collate, summarise and report the results.

28 patient discharge policy guidelines were identified that had no specific guidance for patient discharge from AMUs. New bespoke principles for AMUs were created through a pragmatic interpretation of current relevant policies.

There is a gap in specific patient discharge guidance for AMUs. New guidance should contribute in practice to improve patient discharge.