Patient Perspectives of the Hospital Discharge Process: A Qualitative Study
Kayla Christine Jones, Kirsten Austad, Santana Silver, Erika G. Cordova-Ramos, Kathryn L. Fantasia, Daisy C. Perez, Kristen P. Kremer, Sophie Wilson, Allan J. Walkey, Mari‐Lynn Drainoni
Abstract
Care transitions after hospitalization require communication across care teams, patients, and caregivers. As part of a quality improvement initiative, we conducted qualitative interviews with a diverse group of 53 patients who were recently discharged from a hospitalization within a safety net hospital to explore how patient preferences were included in the hospital discharge process and differences in the hospital discharge experience by race/ethnicity. Four themes emerged from participants regarding desired characteristics of interactions with the discharge team: (1) to feel heard, (2) inclusion in decision-making, (3) to be adequately prepared to care for themselves at home through bedside teaching, (4) and to have a clear and updated discharge timeline. Additionally, participants identified patient-level factors the discharge planning team should consider, including the social context, family involvement, health literacy, and linguistic barriers. Lastly, participants identified provider characteristics, such as a caring and empathetic bedside manner, that they found valuable in the discharge process. Our findings highlight the need for shared decision-making in the discharge planning process to improve both patient safety and satisfaction.