Hospital patient discharge process: an evaluation.

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Pharmacy Practice
• Patient Safety

Background:

• Medication discrepancies post-hospital discharge are a significant patient safety concern.
• These discrepancies contribute to adverse events and hospital readmissions.
• Evaluating the hospital discharge process is crucial for identifying and rectifying medication issues.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and evaluate the current patient discharge process in acute National Health Service hospitals.
• To pinpoint specific areas and reasons for medication discrepancies during hospital discharge.
• To assess the discharge process across various hospitals in the North West of England.

Main Methods:

• A qualitative study design was employed.
• Semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with 13 chief pharmacists or their nominees.
• Thematic analysis was used to analyze transcribed interview data, identifying eight key themes.

Main Results:

• The study successfully mapped discharge processes across participating hospitals.
• Common issues impacting the discharge process were identified across all hospitals.
• A significant finding was the general lack of patient involvement in the discharge process.

Conclusions:

• Current hospital discharge processes require innovative solutions to address identified medication issues.
• The findings will inform the development of a new model of care for patient discharge.
• Improving patient involvement is key to enhancing medication safety post-discharge.