While patients may think they understand how to care for themselves after being discharged from a hospital, self-reported patient understanding is a poor reflection of an actual understanding of postdischarge care, according to an article in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Researchers followed approximately 400 patients ages 65 and older after discharge from the hospital following acute coronary syndrome, heart failure or pneumonia, tracking discharge practices, follow-up appointments, patient-friendly discharge practices, patient understanding of diagnosis and patient perceptions and satisfaction with discharge care.
• While 95 percent of patients reported understanding of the reason for their hospitalization, only 59.6 percent were able to accurately describe that reason in postdischarge interviews.
• Discharge instructions covered necessary symptom, activity and diet alerts but were not written in language intelligible to patients.
• Thirty percent of patients received less than one day's advance notice of discharge.
• Sixty-six percent reported being asked about whether they had the support they needed at home postdischarge.
Researchers concluded more work is needed to improve the quality of postdischarge care, especially as it concerns patient understanding and health management after hospital care.
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