Adult discharge planning and nursing home placement: a study of risk factors for quality assurance.
OBJECTIVE
A study of two large groups of patients was conducted in a large general hospital, comparing the admission characteristics of those referred to nursing homes and those returning home, to identify factors on admission that would facilitate more rapid discharge planning and placement.


METHODS
Discharge planning at the Royal Brisbane Hospital was analysed over 12 months, comparing the admission characteristics of 191 patients placed in nursing homes with 444 patients returning home.


RESULTS
Referral of patients to social workers was delayed and poorly co-ordinated, leading to prolongation of the discharge process or placement for nursing home patients. The data indicate that the process can be expedited by attention to readily recognizable factors already present on admission.
Cooper
L
L
School of Social Sciences, Flinders University of South Australia, Adelaide.
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006302:Health Services Research; D006769:Hospitals, General / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009735:Nursing Homes; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D010351:Patient Discharge / Q000592:standards*; D010360:Patient Transfer / Q000592:standards*; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D012307:Risk Factors; D012948:Social Work Department, Hospital