Planning with care complexity: Factors related to discharge delays of hospitalised people with disability

Health Soc Care Community, 2022 · DOI: 10.1111/hsc.13912 · Published: July 4, 2022

Simple Explanation

The study examines the challenges in discharging people with disabilities from hospitals in Australia, focusing on the role of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). It investigates how the NDIS impacts discharge delays and identifies factors contributing to these delays. The research highlights that implementing NDIS plans is a significant hurdle. Longer plan implementation times are linked to increased discharge delays, indicating that the process of putting support plans into action needs improvement. The study also points out specific issues like waiting for home modifications and suitable accommodation as major factors causing delays. These findings suggest that improving the availability and efficiency of these supports is crucial for timely hospital discharges.

Study Duration

July 1, 2018 to December 31, 2019

Participants

198 eligible patients with disability

Evidence Level

Not specified

Key Findings

1
Most participants (72%) experienced a delayed discharge from the hospital.
2
A longer NDIS plan implementation timeframe was associated with higher odds of a delay in discharge (OR = 3.41, 95% credible interval = 1.56, 7.11).
3
Issues relating to home modifications, waiting on suitable accommodation, and funding/provision of equipment and assistive technology were major reasons for discharge delays.

Research Summary

This study investigated the timeframes associated with the NDIS pathway and discharge delays for individuals with disabilities requiring funded supports to leave the hospital. The research found that longer NDIS plan implementation timeframes were significantly associated with discharge delays, highlighting challenges in the implementation phase of the NDIS process. The study also identified specific factors, such as issues with home modifications and accommodation, that contribute to discharge delays, emphasizing the need for improvements in these areas.

Practical Implications

Policy Improvement

Focus policy efforts on streamlining NDIS plan implementation to reduce discharge delays.

Resource Allocation

Allocate resources to improve the availability and efficiency of home modifications, accommodation, and assistive technology.

Inter-agency Collaboration

Enhance communication and collaboration between hospital staff, NDIS planners, and service providers to facilitate smoother transitions.

Study Limitations

1
The definition of discharge delay (≥4 days) may have been too conservative.
2
The study may not have captured all variables indicative of care complexity.
3
The study could not discern whether participants were discharged with full or partial plan implementation.

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