Abstract
This paper describes the outcomes of a study in which an early and comprehensive discharge planning protocol was used by social workers in an acute-care center in Israel. Comparison patients received standard social work services provided by the department. Telephone follow-up interviews were conducted at 3-weeks and 2-months intervals post discharge. The expected outcomes of reduced rates of emergency room visits and readmissions, or greater satisfaction with health services were not achieved. Rather, the study group patients had significantly higher rates of emergency room visits, and tended to be less satisfied with discharge planning and significantly less satisfied with post-hospital health services. No differences in readmission rates were observed. The study patients were more likely to be discharged to a home-care program and to have received such services or still be in the LTC institutions to which they had been referred at follow-ups. The difference in rate of emergency room visits between the two groups decreased when controlling for type of service and for satisfaction in a regression model. Implications for social work practice are discussed.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 23-48 |
| Number of pages | 26 |
| Journal | Social Work in Health Care |
| Volume | 18 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 1 Jun 1993 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:ABSTRACT. This paper describes the outcomes of a study in which an early and comprehensive discharge planning protocol was used by social workers in an acutecare center in Israel. Comparison patients received standard social work services provided by the department. Telephone follow-up interviews were conducted at 3-weeks and 2-months intervals post discharge. The expected outcomes of reduced rates of emergency room visits and readmissions, or greater satisfaction with health services were not achieved. Rather, the study group patients had significantly higher rates of emergency room visits, and tended to be less satisfied with discharge planning and significantly less satisfied with post-hospital health services. No dif- ferences in readmission rates were observed. The study patients were more likely to be discharged to a home-care program and to have received such services or still be in the LTC institutions to which they had been referred at follow-ups. The difference in rate of emer- Varda Soskolne is affiliated with the Department of Social Work Savices, Hadassah Medical Center, and Department of Social Medicine, The Hebrew University-Hadassah School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Jerusa-lem, Israel. Gail K. Auslander is affiliated with the Paul Baenvald School of Social W eThe Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel. This study was supported by the Warburg Fund of the Joint Distribution Committee in Israel and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The authors wish to thank the social workers who ~articioatedi n the studv: Mrs. Gurith Schniedman and anonymous reviewers for heir ielpful comments: ' Address corres~ondenceto Varda Soskolne, PhD, Department of Social Work Services, ada ass ah Medical Center, POB 12000, ~erus&m, Il-91120, ISRAEL
Funding
ABSTRACT. This paper describes the outcomes of a study in which an early and comprehensive discharge planning protocol was used by social workers in an acutecare center in Israel. Comparison patients received standard social work services provided by the department. Telephone follow-up interviews were conducted at 3-weeks and 2-months intervals post discharge. The expected outcomes of reduced rates of emergency room visits and readmissions, or greater satisfaction with health services were not achieved. Rather, the study group patients had significantly higher rates of emergency room visits, and tended to be less satisfied with discharge planning and significantly less satisfied with post-hospital health services. No dif- ferences in readmission rates were observed. The study patients were more likely to be discharged to a home-care program and to have received such services or still be in the LTC institutions to which they had been referred at follow-ups. The difference in rate of emer- Varda Soskolne is affiliated with the Department of Social Work Savices, Hadassah Medical Center, and Department of Social Medicine, The Hebrew University-Hadassah School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Jerusa-lem, Israel. Gail K. Auslander is affiliated with the Paul Baenvald School of Social W eThe Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel. This study was supported by the Warburg Fund of the Joint Distribution Committee in Israel and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The authors wish to thank the social workers who ~articioatedi n the studv: Mrs. Gurith Schniedman and anonymous reviewers for heir ielpful comments: ' Address corres~ondenceto Varda Soskolne, PhD, Department of Social Work Services, ada ass ah Medical Center, POB 12000, ~erus&m, Il-91120, ISRAEL
| Funders | Funder number |
|---|---|
| Warburg Fund of the Joint Distribution Committee in Israel | |
| Hebrew University of Jerusalem |
