heading
h me
You may be ready to check out
of the hospital, but be sure to pay attention
during this important transition.
Story by Brooke C. Wheeler
leaving the hospital is usually a happy time—you’re probably very glad to be going home after
surgery, giving birth or being treated for an injury, illness or condition. But you may also feel a little
worried about what comes next. Being discharged could mean you’re well on your way to a complete
recovery, but sometimes it means you still need more care. So whether you’re going to your home, the
home of a family member or friend or to another medical facility, it’s important to know how to handle
this transition well. Why? “Patients can, unfortunately, end up back in the emergency room if they don’t
understand their diagnosis or medication schedule or what food they can’t have,” says Vivian Campagna,
R.N.-B.C., director of case management and social work at St. Vincent’s Hospital, in New York City.
“Discharge planning should actually begin when a patient is admitted, so providers can make sure patients
have all the information they need to help prevent problems after they leave.” Here’s how to manage the
process of leaving the hospital so you check out with peace of mind.
Learn Before You Leave
What are the two most important things you need to know before you head out of the hospital? First,
be sure you understand as much as you can about your health. Specifically, you need to know what
your condition is; what medicines you’re taking, possible side effects, dosages and the timing of each
dose; where you’re going (your home, an assisted-care facility or someone else’s home) and why; when
and with whom you have follow-up appointments; and when to call a doctor if you have questions or
complications. Second, you should have a clear idea of what kind of care you’ll need after leaving the
hospital, from in-home nurse visits to moving to an inpatient continuing care facility.
Knowing this information can save you a lot of headaches later, says Brian Jack, M.D., associate
professor of family medicine at Boston University School of Medicine. Most important, being an in-
formed patient can help keep you out of the hospital. “Thirty to 50 percent of re-admissions are pre-
ventable,” Jack says. He ought to know: In 2006 and 2007 Jack led a study of 749 patients at Boston
Medical Center in which some patients were given a very detailed written discharge plan upon check-
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ing out of the hospital. The booklet they got had information tailored just for them, including phone
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r numbers for their healthcare providers, dates for follow-up appointments and tests in a calendar, a
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n color-coded medication schedule, a list of tests they’d had, an illustrated description of their diagnosis
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and information about what to do if they had a problem. The other patients in the study got the hos-

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© pital’s usual discharge information. Jack’s trial showed that when patients leaving the hospital are
the patient magazine 2010 31
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