Abstract
Discharge from the acute care hospital is increasingly recognized as a time of heightened vulnerability for lapses in safety and quality. The capacity of patients to understand and execute discharge instructions is critical to promote effective self-care. This study explores factors that predict understanding and execution of discharge instructions in a sample of 237 recently discharged older adults. A study nurse conducted a postdischarge home visit to ascertain patient understanding and assess execution of instructions. Health literacy, cognition, and self-efficacy were important predictors of successful understanding and execution of instructions. Neither discharge diagnosis nor complexity of discharge instructions was found to be a significant predictor of these outcomes. Results indicate a need to implement reliable protocols that identify patients at risk for poor understanding and execution of hospital discharge instructions and provide customized approaches to meet them at their respective levels.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
