title: Estimating discharge dates using routinely collected data: improving the preparedness of parents of preterm infants for discharge home.
abstract: The length of stay for moderately preterm infants has progressively become shorter in the UK in recent years but staff still commonly inform parents that their baby will go home around their estimated date of delivery (EDD). Parents need as much notice as possible to prepare for the discharge of their baby, and to gain the necessary skills and knowledge to care for their infant safely. We report the use of routinely collected neonatal data to develop and implement a simple centile chart for date of discharge from hospital, which allows staff and parents to predict the likely discharge date more accurately for preterm infants, most of whom now go home more than 3 weeks before their EDD. This information allows better and timelier planning for discharge of such infants, by parents and staff.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Child and Adolescent Health, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
authors.forename: Peter J
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2521-5764
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Fleming
authors.affiliation: Centre for Child and Adolescent Health, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ingram
authors.affiliation: Centre for Child and Adolescent Health, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
authors.forename: Debbie
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.affiliation: Centre for Child and Adolescent Health, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
authors.forename: Peter S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Blair
mesh_terms: D003625:Data Collection; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007902:Length of Stay; D010290:Parents; D010351:Patient Discharge / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013997:Time Factors; D006113:United Kingdom
keywords: Audit; Discharge Planning; Length of Stay; Neonatology