DISSEMINATION OF THE DNP PROJECT FINDINGS

Abstract

The problem is extended wait times among paediatric patients at the selected Paediatric Emergency Department (PED). The failure by nurses and clinicians to effectively educate patients at discharge causes many patients to return for complications listed in their discharge instructions. This leads to patient dissatisfaction and poor organizational outcomes as patients may leave without care. Hospital readmission within 30 days of discharge remain a serious health concern in the US. Statistics indicate that 1 in five Medicaid patients return to hospital within 30 days of discharge. Cumulatively, readmissions alone account for approximately $42 billion in health spending annually. A literature review was conducted to gather evidence-based knowledge on strategies for enhancing the effectiveness of discharge procedures. Evidence was gathered by searching for US-based primary research articles in the JAMA Network, Cochrane Open Access, the Directory of Open Access Journals, and the Digital Commons Network published within the past five years. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses, as well as older articles, were excluded, but were kept as reference material and will be used in the narrative review. The evidence showed that effective pre-discharge education and post-discharge follow-up significantly reduced hospital revisits. Based on this evidence, the project seeks to reduce patient wait times at the PED by adopting an enhanced discharge education program that includes post-discharge follow-up phone calls. The project faces cost constraints given the large number of patients, time limitations, as it has to be completed within the given time frame, and the risk that staff may resist change.

Key words: discharge education, revisits, readmission