discharge planning
The structured process of preparing a rehabilitation patient for safe and appropriate transition from an inpatient setting to community, home, or lower-level care.
Full Definition
Discharge planning in clinical rehabilitation is a multidisciplinary process that begins at or near admission and involves assessing the patient's functional goals, home environment, social supports, equipment needs, and ongoing therapy requirements to facilitate a safe and timely discharge. It commonly produces formal documents such as a discharge summary, home assessment report, and community referral letters. The process is coordinated by the MDT, often with a key worker role assigned to a social worker or rehabilitation coordinator. Editors working on rehabilitation documents should verify that 'discharge planning' is written as two words (not hyphenated) and that related terms such as 'discharge summary', 'discharge goal', and 'discharge destination' are used consistently and correctly throughout the document.
Usage
Usage note: Two words, unhyphenated. Distinguish from 'discharge summary' (a document) and 'discharge criteria' (clinical thresholds for safe discharge). Verify consistent use of 'discharge destination' vs 'discharge setting'.
In Context
- "Discharge planning meetings were held weekly with the patient, family, and relevant MDT members." — Inpatient rehabilitation program documentation
- "Early discharge planning enabled the team to source appropriate community equipment before the patient's home leave." — Occupational therapy case note