Zeitschrift für Patientenversorgung

Abstrakt

Patients' Perceptions of the Discharge Process

E. Whitney Pollio

Hospital readmission rates estimates range as high as 79 percent. Research aimed at decreasing readmission is almost entirely from the perspective of health care providers. Patient insights potentially aid in efforts to improve transitions of care. The study’s purpose is to examine patients’ perceptions of the discharge process. Nine African-American adult females with congestive heart failure recently discharged from the hospital were asked to recall the experience of receiving written health care information. Interviews were transcribed, coded into themes, and validated through participant follow-up. Three themes emerged: 1) consumer-friendly information and materials; 2) humanization; and 3) health care team expertise. Consumer-friendly information and materials includes readability and comprehensiveness of materials. Humanization consists of providers showing patience, patient-centred care and personal touch. Health care team expertise includes professionalism and effective communication skills. The participants’ experiences suggest that decreasing readmissions rests on humanizing communication of discharge health information and instructions to patients.