Older veterans and emergency department discharge information

Abstract

Older veterans may not understand key items of information at the time ED discharge, and this may have an impact on how they view the quality of ED care. Strategies are needed to improve communication of ED discharge information to older veterans and their families.

Evaluation of discharge documentation after hospitalization for stroke patients discharged home in Australia: A cross‐sectional, pilot study

“…Routine follow‐up phone calls after discharge were provided, and all of the patients were followed up by the GP within 3–10 days. This compares well with a previous study of older veterans ( n = 305) discharged from the emergency department, where 25% did not understand how soon they should follow up with their primary care provider (Hastings et al, ). The evaluation of the compliance scores for information provided to patients or their carer on readmission within 28 days identified a significant effect on reduced readmission associated with increasing compliance.…”

“…for issues such as drug-drug interactions and anticholinergic load, and use of medication devices). Many patients and their carers did not receive information about what to do in the event of complications occurring (documented contingency plans), and this is consistent with a previous study of discharged older veterans, where 43% did not understand their contingency plan (Hastings et al, 2012).…”

“…The risks associated with the discontinuity of care at the time of discharge include missed pending test results (Alper et al, ; Roy, Poon, Karson, et al, ), and unresolved medical issues that require diagnostic workups, referrals, and laboratory tests after discharge (Moore, McGinn, & Halm, ). A recent study of older veterans discharged from the emergency department ( n = 305) reported that many did not understand their expected course of illness or contingency plan, or how soon they should follow up with their primary care provider (Hastings, Stechuchak, Oddone, et al, ).…”

Research in hospital discharge procedures addresses gaps in care continuity in the community, but leaves gaping holes for people with dementia: A review of the literature

“…Research conducted in Europe [26] and the United States [27] as part of the Handover study used process mapping as the main method to elicit and understand current patterns of care and to highlight opportunities for process improvement [26]. Seeking to identify patient perceptions, Flink et al.…”

Discharge information and support for veterans Receiving Outpatient Care in the Emergency Department: Study design and methods

“…We estimate approximately 29-32% of those randomized to usual care will have any ED use in the 30 days post index ED visit period. This approximation is based on estimates from the study team's work with similar high risk patient cohorts [3,22].…”