Background: Current discharge practices have shown to be inefficient which results in delayed transfers from the emergency department, resulting in patients waiting for extended periods of time before admissions to their home wards, and bed blocking within the emergency department. This implementation project focuses on implementing criteria led discharge (CLD) within a short stay surgical unit.
Objectives: The primary objective of this evidence implementation project was to promote best practice for criteria led discharge, and thereby improve patient outcomes, reduce patient length of stay and improve resource allocation.
Methods: This project utilized the audit and feedback model using the Joanna Briggs Institute's Practical Application of Clinical Evidence System. Audit criteria were created based on the best available evidence on the topic through a search performed by the JBI team. All audit criteria were obtained through case note review following discharge. All audits were undertaken within the same 28-bed surgical unit.
Results: The post-implementation (follow-up) audit showed significant improvement in compliance to best practice guidelines in many of the audit criteria selected. Despite this, the ongoing follow up audits have shown a decrease in compliance. Further education and monitoring is required.
Conclusions: This project has shown that using the audit and feedback as an implementation tool has proved effective in changing practice and improving compliance to the best available evidence on discharging patients, once they have met the criteria developed.