Trauma Patient-Centered Discharge Plan Form: A Pilot Study.

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Trauma Care
• Patient Discharge

Background:

• Multidisciplinary discharge planning enhances trauma patient throughput and reduces hospital stays.
• Effective discharge planning is crucial for improving patient and family support.
• Expediting hospital discharge is a key goal in trauma care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility of a patient-centered discharge plan form for adult trauma patients.
• To evaluate the acceptability of a new discharge planning tool.
• To determine the impact of a standardized form on discharge order timing.

Main Methods:

• A single-center pilot study involving adult trauma patients at a Level II trauma center.
• Phased approach: observation, pilot intervention with a standardized discharge form, and follow-up.
• Primary outcome: frequency of discharge orders written before noon; qualitative and quantitative data collected.

Main Results:

• The discharge form was piloted on eight adult trauma patients.
• Five of eight patients had discharge orders before noon.
• The form completion by discharge nurses showed a slightly higher incidence of early discharge orders.

Conclusions:

• The patient-centered discharge plan form is feasible and acceptable for improving trauma patient discharge.
• Further refinement of the form's content and administration is recommended.
• The tool shows potential to streamline the discharge process for trauma patients.