title: Discharge education for older people and family members in emergency department: A cross-sectional study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Older patients are a major patient group in emergency settings in Finland. Family members have a crucial part to play when older people are discharged home. Discharge education is common practice within discharge planning in emergency department (ED). Discharge planning is associated with patient outcomes, but little is known about discharge education as such. The purpose of this study was to examine the association of discharge education with discharge readiness among older patients and their family members in an emergency setting in Finland.
  
  
  METHODS
  This cross-sectional study was performed in two EDs. Questionnaire data were collected from patients over 75 (N = 135) and their family members (N = 128) to examine the level of discharge education, and to see how discharge education was associated with discharge readiness. Descriptive and non-parametric methods were used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One in four older patients and 40 per cent of family members received no discharge education. Nevertheless, discharge education was associated with a higher level of discharge readiness, both among patients and family members.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ED personnel should give more focus to discharge education when planning the discharge of older patients in order to facilitate better discharge readiness.
authors.affiliation: University of Tampere, School of Health Sciences, FI-33014 University of Tampere, Finland. Electronic address: Mira.palonen@uta.fi.
authors.forename: Mira
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Palonen
authors.affiliation: University of Tampere, School of Health Sciences, FI-33014 University of Tampere, Finland; Pirkanmaa Hospital District, General Administration, PO-BOX 2000, FI-33521 Tampere, Finland.
authors.forename: Marja
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kaunonen
authors.affiliation: University of Tampere, School of Health Sciences, FI-33014 University of Tampere, Finland; Pirkanmaa Hospital District, Science Centre, PO-BOX 2000, FI-33521 Tampere, Finland.
authors.forename: Mika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Helminen
authors.affiliation: University of Tampere, School of Health Sciences, FI-33014 University of Tampere, Finland; Pirkanmaa Hospital District, General Administration, PO-BOX 2000, FI-33521 Tampere, Finland.
authors.forename: Päivi
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Åstedt-Kurki
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010351:Patient Discharge; D010353:Patient Education as Topic
keywords: Discharge; Emergency department; Family member; Older patient; Patient education