What should someone have with them before they are discharged from the hospital?
You have just been discharged from the hospital after an unexpected health event. You are excited to be going home, but weary from your illness and being out of your “routine” for a few days. As you were being wheeled out of your hospital room, the nurse reviewed a discharge plan provided by your physician.
Back at home, you stare at the four bottles of new medication you are to take and can’t remember if it was the white or blue pill that should be taken in place of your old pink pill. Now where are those papers the nurse gave me??? Maybe I should just take them both…
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More and more time and resources are being used due to paper work and things that patients and their families should be responsible for, and less actual patient care. I feel the pt should be able to make their own appointments, because often when I schedule them the pt reschedule them to better fit their needs. Really the pt needs to know who to call and what they need to do and monitor for. More paper work just means more time away from providing actual patient care and increased medical cost.
It is important that when a patient leaves the hospital they know what to do when they get home and have a contact person so they don't end up possibly in the ER!
I believe when a patient is discharged, they should have a contact person in case of a set back. With the HIPPA regulations now, it would be difficult to give all the information needed other than the instructions on the prescription bottle to be specific, and maybe recommend a pill container by the week so an older patient would know what has been taken or needs to be taken.
This is true but (and this is a big but) you are a medical professional and know what to look for, when a symptom is serious and when it is not, who to call, etc. Many people have no clue what to do when it comes to medical care for themselves and others. It really suprises me everytime I hear someone ask the pharmacist how many Tylenol they should take at a time and how long they need to wait between doses and they are holding the bottle in their hand. You have to understand that most people need their hands held, so to speak, when it comes to healthcare. It becomes even more confusing for these individuals when they are leaving the hospital after an illness with care instructions, medications to take, etc. I do agree that they should be making their own follow up appointments but at home care instructions are necessary for many, many people to make sure they have the tools to care for themselves and the information to get additional assistance if needed when they get home.
A person should have intructions on how to take any medications that are given and who to call in case of an emergency, and if a follow up is needed within a certain time frame, that should be spelled out too, so that the person does not end up back in ER.
I agree with u816117. Detailed and specific instructions should be given to any patient, whether inpatient or outpatient.
Paperwork is always a big issue. Thankfully, Rex Hospital does not confront the patient with unnecessary paperwork
Have a nurse call or visit the next day
I think its important to have an extra set of ears to listen and ask questions at the time of discharge. Too many times when someone is being discharged they still dont feel well or are feeling alittle fuzzy in their thinking and cannot always take in everything thats told to them. Also it needs to be written down clearly to avoid confusion. Sometimes the medical professionals forget that not everyone hsa medical knowledge
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