A component of utilization management, wherein medical personnel of the health plan work with the attending physician and hospital staff to assess alternatives to hospitalization, evaluate appropriate settings for care and arrange for the discharge of a patient, including planning for subsequent care at home or in a skilled nursing facility. The goal is to determine when patients are ready to go home and to provide a more comfortable, cost-efficient setting for continued treatment.
The process of coordinating and evaluating a patient's health care needs in order to arrange for appropriate care following discharge from a hospital or other institutional care setting.
Determining what the patient's medical needs will be after discharge from a hospital or other inpatient treatment.
The procedure used by a health-care professional or social worker to determine the needs of a patient moving from one level of care to another, such as a move from a hospital to a nursing home.
the preparation of a detailed plan for comprehensive care of a hospitalized or institutionalized patient after that patient's discharge
Services offered by health care facilities prior to discharge to help patients and their families develop an appropriate plan for post-discharge care.
The process that assesses a patient's need for treatment after hospitalization in order to help arrange for the necessary services and resources to ensure an appropriate and timely discharge.
an inherently complex decision making process, the results of which greatly impact on patients, families, and communities
Discussion and action about going home from hospital
Required by Medicare and JCAHO for all hospital patients. A procedure where aftercare services are determined for after discharge from the inpatient facility.
The formal process for determining, prior to discharge from a facility, the coordination and management of the care that a patient receives following discharge from a facility.
The process that helps patients and their families arrange for follow-up care — from medical equipment to in-home care services — that will be needed after the patient leaves the hospital.
A process used to decide what a patient needs for a smooth move from one level of care to another. This is done by a social worker (nurse, case manager, physician) or other health care professional. It includes moves from a hospital to a nursing home or to home care. Discharge planning may also include the services of hospice and home health agencies to help with the patient's home care.
Identifying a patient's health care needs after discharge from inpatient care.
When after-care services are determined for discharge from the hospital.