Medical Staff

Checklist focuses on discharge of elderly

Hospitalist Leadership Connection, January 10, 2007

An article in the November/December 2006 issue of The Journal of Hospital Medicine outlines a comprehensive checklist for the optimal handoff of elderly patients at discharge, and states that standardization of the discharge process may aid in closing gaps in patient quality and safety.

According to the article, one in five patients experiences an adverse event in the transition from hospital discharge to home.

The checklist, developed by the Hospital Quality and Patient Safety Committee of the Society of Hospital Medicine, was reviewed by more than 120 hospitalists, as well as hospital-based nurses, case managers, and pharmacists.

The researchers concluded that using and refining the list "for patients with specific diagnoses, in specific age categories, and with specific discharge destinations" may improve data transfer and ultimately affect patient outcomes.

To access The Journal of Hospital Medicine, click here.

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