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Barriers to discharge from inpatient rehabilitation: a teamwork approach

Lisanne Catherine Cruz (Rehabilitation Medicine, Elmhurst Hospital Center, Elmhurst, New York, USA)
Jeffrey S. Fine (Rehabilitation Medicine, Elmhurst Hospital Center, Elmhurst, New York, USA)
Subhadra Nori (Rehabilitation Medicine, Elmhurst Hospital Center, Elmhurst, New York, USA)

International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance

ISSN: 0952-6862

Article publication date: 13 March 2017

1878

Abstract

Purpose

In order to prevent adverse events during the discharge process, coordinating appropriate community resources, medication reconciliation, and patient education needs to be implemented before the patient leaves the hospital. This coordination requires communication and effective teamwork amongst staff members. In order to address these concerns, the purpose of this paper is to incorporate the TeamSTEPPS principles to develop a discharge plan that would best meet the needs of the patients as they return to the community.

Design/methodology/approach

Through a gap analysis, barriers to discharge were identified from the following disciplines: nursing, social work, physical and occupational therapy, psychology, and rehabilitation physician. To improve communication, weekly meetings and twice-weekly huddles were implemented so that concerns regarding discharge obstacles could be identified and resolved. Visibility of discharge dates were improved by use of graduation certificates in patient rooms and green ribbons on patient wheelchairs.

Findings

After implementation of this discharge intervention, length of stay was reduced providing cost savings to the hospital, patient satisfaction on HCAHP surveys improved and demonstrated patient satisfaction with the discharge process, and readmission rates improved.

Originality/value

This study demonstrated that effective teamwork and communication can improve patient safety and satisfaction during the discharge period.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

Disclosures: the authors report no conflicts of interest. They did not receive any financial support or benefits for the work. Data and results presented in this paper have not been published or submitted for publication elsewhere.

Citation

Cruz, L.C., Fine, J.S. and Nori, S. (2017), "Barriers to discharge from inpatient rehabilitation: a teamwork approach", International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, Vol. 30 No. 2, pp. 137-147. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJHCQA-07-2016-0102

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2017, Emerald Publishing Limited

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