What Patients Want: A Qualitative Study of Patients' Perspectives on Optimizing the Hospital Discharge Process

Poor discharge planning can lead to increases in adverse drug events, hospital readmissions, and costs. Prior research has identified the pharmacist as an integral part of the discharge process.

To gain patients' perspectives on the discharge process and what they would like pharmacists to do to ensure a successful discharge.

Twenty patients discharged from tertiary care hospitals were interviewed after discharge. A phenomenological approach was used to conduct this qualitative study.

Five main themes were identified from the patient interviews: interactions with health care professionals, importance of discharge documentation, importance of seamless care, comprehensive and patient-specific medication counselling, and patients' preference for involvement and communication at all stages of hospital stay.

Although participants generally reported positive interactions with health care providers at discharge, several areas for improvement were identified, particularly in terms of communication, discharge documentation, and continuity of care. A list of recommendations aligning with patient preferences is provided for clinicians.