Table 3.

Components of a high-quality discharge system⁴⁰

Project Re-Engineered Discharge	2009 national quality forum
Educate the patient about diagnosis during hospitalization	Prepare a written discharge plan
Make appointments for clinician follow-up and post-discharge testing; identify and resolve barriers to follow-up care	Prepare a written discharge summary
Talk to the patient about testing done in the hospital and who will follow up on results	Provide a discharge summary to clinician who will provide care after discharge
Organize post-discharge services; identify and resolve barriers to receiving services	Develop an institutional system to confirm receipt of the discharge summary by clinician
Medication reconciliation: counsel the patient about medications and identify barriers to adherence and compliance
Reconcile the discharge plan with evidence-based guidelines
Educate the patient on problem-solving strategies, including contacting the primary care physician
Expedite transmission of the discharge summary to clinician and services that will be involved post-discharge care
Assess the patient’s understanding of the discharge plan; ask patients to explain in their own words; identify and resolve barriers to understanding
Provide patient with a written summary detailing clinical course, follow-up, and medication instructions
Call the patient 2–3 days after discharge to review the plan and address problems

Note: Copyright © 2010 John Wiley and Sons. Adapted with permission from Tomás Villanueva. Transitioning the patient with acute coronary syndrome from inpatient to primary care. Journal of Hospital Medicine. 2010;S8–S14.⁴⁰