Abstract

Discharge planning is an essential, yet complex element of quality patient care and one of the most patient-centered functions that emergency departments provide. A centralized nurse led follow-up program was developed to reinforce parent education, improve communication between the ED and medical home and decrease return visits. Post discharge follow-up calls revealed that caregivers of patients discharged with asthma exacerbation or first time wheezing had gaps in their comprehension of the disease process, home care instructions, and follow-up plans. High cost of prescriptions may hinder access to medications. A suboptimal discharge process where the final review of discharge readiness falls mainly on physicians with varying levels of teaching experience has been identified as a contributing factor. The goal of this quality improvement (QI) initiative is to ensure safe transitions of care by empowering families with excellent discharge teaching consistently performed by a nurse.

Author Details

Katie Toomey, RN, CPEN; Joanne Haley, RN, CPEN; Fran J. Damian, M.S., R.N. NEA-BC; Caitlin Farrell, MD; Ozge Yetistirici, PhD; Suzanne M. Niro, BSN, RN

Sigma Membership

Non-member

Type

Poster

Format Type

Text-based Document

Study Design/Type

N/A

Research Approach

N/A

Keywords:

Pediatrics, Discharge, Asthma

Conference Name

Emergency Nursing 2019

Conference Host

Emergency Nurses Association

Conference Location

Austin, Texas, USA

Conference Year

2019

Rights Holder

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All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.

Review Type

Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host

Acquisition

Proxy-submission

Poster

Additional Files

Abstract.pdf (105 kB)

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Ensuring safe transitions for the discharged pediatric ED asthma patient

Austin, Texas, USA

Discharge planning is an essential, yet complex element of quality patient care and one of the most patient-centered functions that emergency departments provide. A centralized nurse led follow-up program was developed to reinforce parent education, improve communication between the ED and medical home and decrease return visits. Post discharge follow-up calls revealed that caregivers of patients discharged with asthma exacerbation or first time wheezing had gaps in their comprehension of the disease process, home care instructions, and follow-up plans. High cost of prescriptions may hinder access to medications. A suboptimal discharge process where the final review of discharge readiness falls mainly on physicians with varying levels of teaching experience has been identified as a contributing factor. The goal of this quality improvement (QI) initiative is to ensure safe transitions of care by empowering families with excellent discharge teaching consistently performed by a nurse.