Promoting Discharge Planning Satisfaction in the Surgical Ward

Promoting Discharge Planning Satisfaction Project in the Surgical Ward

 

Purpose:

The aim of the project is to promote satisfaction of discharge planning in a surgical ward and therefore, to improve self-care issues at home that may arise.

 

Methods:

Referrals to our discharge planning unit are mostly those who need to go home with catheters in situ post surgery and require extra care for. Yet, the average satisfaction of the service provided in 2012 was only 46.8%. The number of calls received regarding caring for catheters within 24 hours after discharge were 59. Based on the issue, the dedicated project team was formed aiming to improve the care between February 2013 and August 2013. Reasons of low satisfaction on discharge planning were analyzed and found out to be nursing staff not implementing service properly, lacking assessment tools on service demands, inappropriate case management and phone follow-ups and a lack of multidisciplinary inputs. To improve satisfaction on discharge planning service, interventions were established as follows: in-services, developing discharge planning assessment tools, setting up case referral management and implementation protocols, discharge planning meetings and practicing multidisciplinary inputs properly.

 

Results:

Satisfaction rate on discharge planning service increased to 84.5% from 46.8% after the intervention of the project was implemented during the interval of January 2013 until November 2013. In addition, the number of calls received concerning care problems within 24 hours after discharge reduced to 12 from 59.

 

Conclusion:

Satisfaction rate on discharge planning has an increase of 37.7%. The result of that has not only improved the staff’s recognitions on discharge planning but expanded the extent of service provision and improved the quality of service. Therefore, patients and their families can receive a more comprehensive discharge planning service.