PubMed Health⌕ Search
Home/Archive/PubMed

PubMed · 10280054

Preventive discharge planning.

D R Dintenfass·R Winter
View original source ↗Export metadata ↓

Abstract

Much attention has been brought to the variety of legal and treatment problems that arise when encountering incompetent patients. Either incompetent patients are not discharged when there is no longer a need for hospitalization, or the patient is discharged with little hope that after treatment plans will be followed. Both situations are costly and ineffective. Problems associated with treating incompetent patients can be anticipated and minimized. This article suggests mechanisms in the form of preventive discharge planning and durable powers of attorney. The authors also emphasize the benefits of building and maintaining relationships with attorneys for the purpose of providing public information seminars and legal assistance to families.

Explore related subjects

Hospitals, CommunityLegal GuardiansPatient DischargeRoleSocial SupportUnited StatesJournal Article

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeXRIS

D R Dintenfass, R Winter. Preventive discharge planning.. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10280054/

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related citations

PubMed2006

Monitoring of pharmacy staffing, workload, and productivity in community hospitals.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this survey was to identify and characterize pharmacy productivity monitoring systems used in community hospitals that were part of a national group purchasing organization (GPO). METHODS: A 50-item questionnaire was developed, pretested, and sent electronically to the directors of pharmacy at 242 member hospitals of Consorta, Inc., a national GPO. The questionnaire was designed to elicit information on (1) hospital pharmacy demographics, (2) systems used to measure hospital pharmacy productivity, and (3) staffing levels and workload. Hospital demographic data were also obtained for respondent and nonrespondent hospitals from the American Hospital Association's AHA Guide. Descriptive statistics, Student's t tests, and chi-square tests were used to characterize the data and compare respondents with nonrespondents. RESULTS: Responses were received from 110 hospitals (45.5%). No clinically significant differences were found when respondent and nonrespondent hospitals were compared based on AHA Guide data. The productivity workload ratios monitored most often by respondent hospitals were full-time equivalents (FTEs) per adjusted patient day, FTEs per dose dispensed, and FTEs per dose billed. Respondents reported a mean +/- S.D. of 21.90 +/- 18.83 actual FTEs and total doses dispensed, billed, or administered per year of 111,391.4 +/- 111,538.0. A major limitation of the productivity systems used in the hospitals was the inability of the systems to account for clinical services performed by the pharmacy staff. CONCLUSION: A survey of community hospitals indicated that although most engaged in productivity monitoring, systems for such measurement often failed to capture all relevant clinical workload data.

Hospitals, Community↗
PubMed2006

SBAR: a shared mental model for improving communication between clinicians.

BACKGROUND: The importance of sharing a common mental model in communication prompted efforts to spread the use of the SBAR (Situation, Background, Assessment, and Recommendation) tool at OSF St. Joseph Medical Center, Bloomington, Illinois. CASE STUDY: An elderly patient was on warfarin sodium (Coumadin) 2.5 mg daily. The nurse received a call from the lab regarding an elevated international normalized ratio (INR) but did not write down the results (she was providing care to another patient). On the basis of the previous lab cumulative summary, the physician increased the warfarin dose for the patient; a dangerously high INR resulted. ACTIONS TAKEN: The medical center initiated a collaborative to implement the use of the SBAR communication tool. Education was incorporated into team resource management training and general orientation. Tools included SBAR pocket cards for clinicians and laminated SBAR "cheat sheets" posted at each phone. SBAR became the communication methodology from leadership to the microsystem in all forms of reporting. DISCUSSION: Staff adapted quickly to the use of SBAR, although hesitancy was noted in providing the "recommendation" to physicians. Medical staff were encouraged to listen for the SBAR components and encourage staff to share their recommendation if not initially provided.

Hospitals, Community↗