Outpatient discharge from the emergency department

Abstract

Discharge from the emergency department (ED) to outpatient treatment represents the majority of ED treatment plans. In order to ensure that the increasing number of patients can be discharged safely into outpatient care, the discharge process should be considered in the treatment plan along with diagnostics and therapy. If the measures to ensure good communication and instruction of patients before discharge are implemented correctly, patient safety and medical outcomes can be improved. This strategy supports patient-centered treatment and often reduces unplanned follow-ups and the resulting healthcare costs. The following text is based on the publication: “Improving the emergency department discharge process: environmental scan report” by the Armstrong Institute for Patient Safety and Quality at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality in the United States. This article summarizes: measures and indicators that define high-quality discharge; which risk factors can cause poor discharge quality; and which measures can improve the quality of discharge. The reader should consider the different ED settings and adapt the recommendations according to their own situation.