Patient Harm and Institutional Avoidability of Out-of-Hours Discharge From Intensive Care: An Analysis Using Mixed Methods.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

Out-of-hours discharge from ICU to the ward is associated with increased in-hospital mortality and ICU readmission. Little is known about why this occurs. We map the discharge process and describe the consequences of out-of-hours discharge to inform practice changes to reduce the impact of discharge at night.

Design

This study was part of the REcovery FoLlowing intensive CarE Treatment mixed methods study. We defined out-of-hours discharge as 16:00 to 07:59 hours. We undertook 20 in-depth case record reviews where in-hospital death after ICU discharge had been judged "probably avoidable" in previous retrospective structured judgment reviews, and 20 where patients survived. We conducted semistructured interviews with 55 patients, family members, and staff with expe

SUBMITTER: Vollam S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9197137 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature