Abstract W P349: Bridging the Gap: Discharge to Follow-up: A Qualitative Review

Abstract

Background: Discharging patients from the hospital is complex and challenging. The discharge process includes discharge planning, medication reconciliation, discharge summation, and patient instruction. The enormity of information and complexity of the process directly impacts patient compliance and re-admission. Given the extent of this process, efforts toward assuring clarity of knowledge have the potential to improve patient compliance. We sought to identify and address gaps in post discharge patient awareness. Methods: A follow-up phone interview was conducted 1 week post discharge, with 26 stroke patients. All patients had received verbal and written stroke education prior to discharge. The qualitative assessment tool included 10 questions regarding general wellbeing, follow-up appointment compliance, medication utilization, and stroke knowledge. The patient responses were categorized accordingly. A copy of the patient’s discharge instructions was utilized during the interview for verification and clarification of discharge information. Results: Regarding wellbeing, 77% of the patients reported a reasonable sense of well being. The majority (77%) had scheduled follow-up appointments with the remaining 23% requiring clarification. Concerning medication compliance, 92% of the patients were able to obtain and comprehend use of their new medications. Review of stroke type confirmed 54% with understanding, whereas, 44% expressed lack of clarity regarding the subject. The same was true in regards to comprehension of stroke risk factors (56% verbalized understanding and 44% lacked awareness). Lastly, 54% of respondents were unable to identify the signs and symptoms of stroke despite the majority (60%) verbalizing a correct use of the 9-1-1 system Conclusion: Our findings imply that a post discharge phone call practice serves to identify information gaps and provide opportunity to clarify stroke awareness, thus, “bridging the gap” of understanding and compliance regarding stroke management and prevention