Planning a patient's discharge from hospital

Discharge planning aims to improve the coordination of services and care after a patient’s discharge from hospital Good planning requires anticipation of potential problems by good information gathering, early resolution of potential barriers to discharge, and timely referral to the multidisciplinary team Planning involves close collaboration between the patient, the family, and the multidisciplinary team; this leads to improved patient and carer satisfaction The junior doctor is often an important coordinating link in the process of discharge