Ready to Go Home? Assessment of Shared Mental Models of the Patient and Discharging Team Regarding Readiness for Hospital Discharge

Theoretical concepts and instruments for measuring hospital discharge readiness: A scoping review

Background

The Discharge Readiness of adult patients in a hospital setting is a multidimensional concept which is becoming increasingly important internationally as part of discharge planning. To date, there has been a lack of reviews of existing measurement instruments as well as theoretical concepts of discharge readiness.

Objective

To provide an overview of existing measurement instruments and theoretical concepts regarding readiness for hospital discharge in adult patients.

Design and methods

A scoping review was conducted in accordance with the Joanna Briggs Institute methodological manual and PRISMA ScR reporting principles. A literature search was conducted using the CINAHL and LIVIVO databases (including MEDLINE and PSYINDEX) in October 2021. After test screening, all identified articles were screened by two independent reviewers using predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria before the content was extracted and mapped.

Results

Of the 1823 records identified, 107 were included in this review. Of these, 30 studies were included as development or validation studies of measurement instruments assessing discharge readiness, 68 were included as empirical studies with readiness for hospital discharge as the primary outcome or key concept, and nine publications were included as theoretical papers or reviews. Five dimensions of readiness for hospital discharge were extracted:1) Physical, 2) Psychological, 3) Education and Knowledge, 4) Adequate Individual Support, and 5) Social and Organisational Determinants. Of the 47 instruments identified for measuring discharge readiness, 33 were validated. The Readiness for Hospital Discharge Scale (RHDS) was the most frequently used instrument.

Conclusions

The systematic measurement of readiness for hospital discharge, particularly from the patient's perspective combined with the nurse's perspective, might be useful in reducing negative outcomes such as readmissions. This review provides an overview of existing and validated instruments for the systematic assessment of discharge readiness in acute inpatient care, as well as an overview of the theoretical concepts of readiness for hospital discharge. Further research is needed on the relationship between organisational determinants and readiness for discharge.

Nurse-to-patient ratios and readiness for hospital discharge: A moderated mediation model

AIM

To explore whether and to what extent, nurse-patient assessment differences mediate the association between nurse-to-patient ratios and readiness for hospital discharge, and examine whether nurse-patient characteristics moderate the indirect and/or direct effect of mediation model.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional study was carried out from March 2021 to December 2022.

METHODS

A total of 523 pairs of gastrointestinal cancer patients with PICC and their nurses were recruited. All the participants were invited to complete the general information questionnaire and the Readiness for Hospital Discharge Scale. Outcome measure was patient-reported readiness for hospital discharge. This study was reported according to the STROBE checklist.

RESULTS

The patients reported a low level of readiness for hospital discharge. Nurse-patient assessment differences were positively associated with nurse-to-patient ratios but negatively associated with readiness for hospital discharge. Furthermore, nurse-patient assessment differences fully mediated the effect of nurse-to-patient ratios on readiness for hospital discharge, and age and gender of patients only moderated the indirect path of mediation model.

Positive Patient Postoperative Outcomes with Pharmacotherapy: A Narrative Review including Perioperative-Specialty Pharmacist Interviews

The influence of pharmacotherapy regimens on surgical patient outcomes is increasingly appreciated in the era of enhanced recovery protocols and institutional focus on reducing postoperative complications. Specifics related to medication selection, dosing, frequency of administration, and duration of therapy are evolving to optimize pharmacotherapeutic regimens for many enhanced recovery protocolized elements. This review provides a summary of recent pharmacotherapeutic strategies, including those configured within electronic health record (EHR) applications and functionalities, that are associated with the minimization of the frequency and severity of postoperative complications (POCs), shortened hospital length of stay (LOS), reduced readmission rates, and cost or revenue impacts. Further, it will highlight preventive pharmacotherapy regimens that are correlated with improved patient preparation, especially those related to surgical site infection (SSI), venous thromboembolism (VTE), nausea and vomiting (PONV), postoperative ileus (POI), and emergence delirium (PoD) as well as less commonly encountered POCs such as acute kidney injury (AKI) and atrial fibrillation (AF). The importance of interprofessional collaboration in all periprocedural phases, focusing on medication management through shared responsibilities for drug therapy outcomes, will be emphasized. Finally, examples of collaborative care through shared mental models of drug stewardship and non-medical practice agreements to improve operative throughput, reduce operative stress, and increase patient satisfaction are illustrated.