Predicting Factors of Readiness for Hospital Discharge among Surgical Hospitalized Patients in Tertiary Hospitals

Abstract

Background: Readiness for hospital discharge is an indicator of a patient's recovery from illness and is a criterion for hospital discharge. Discharge from hospital without readiness is possibly related to adverse consequences, for example, readmission, or increased hospital visits due to complications. Three main factors-nature of transition, transition condition, and nursing therapeutic have influence on the perceived readiness for hospital discharge of the patients. Literature review indicated that quality of discharge teaching and care coordination were predictors of readiness for hospital discharge. Little is known about Thai patients’ perceptions on factors influencing readiness for hospital discharge. Objective: To determine factors predicting perceived readiness for hospital discharge of surgical patients in tertiary hospitals which were method of teaching, received content, care coordination, length of hospital stay, and sex. Methods: The research methodology was a correlational predictive study. The theoretical framework of this study is derived from theory of transition by Melleis and literature review. Participants were 153 surgical hospitalized patients who were selected as study criteria from tertiary hospitals of Chiang Mai province. The research instruments were the demographic data form, the Quality of Discharge Teaching Scale, the Readiness for Hospital Discharge Scale, and the Care Coordination Scale. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and logistic regression analysis, enter method. Results: The results revealed that method of teaching was the only one significant predictor which accounted for 39%of the variance of readiness for hospital discharge and correctly predicted 87% of overall readiness. Conclusion: The results of this study has implications for nurses in focusing on quality of discharge teaching intervention which will encourage the perception of patients’ readiness for hospital discharge. The discharge planning process should provide individual patients with evidenced-based effective discharge teaching, and test of perceived quality of discharge teaching, as well as assess their perceived readiness for hospital discharge.