ArticleBMJ open2020
Understanding the patient experience of early unplanned hospital readmission following acute care discharge: a qualitative descriptive study.
Article in BMJ open, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 23 papers.
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Who cites it
23 citing papers in PubMed, 55 citations in OpenAlex.
- Experiences of frail Korean older adults and their families in a transitional care program: an exploratory qualitative study.International journal of qualitative studies on health and well-being · 2026Article
- COVID-19 and Unplanned Paediatric Hospital Readmissions in Australia: A Retrospective Cohort Study.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2026Article
- Comparison of Patient-Reported Hospital Discharge Experiences in Patients with Long-Term and Episodic Opioid Therapy: A Qualitative Study.Journal of general internal medicine · 2026Article
- Predicting unplanned readmissions in neurological patients: A large-scale AI-driven analysis using CHAID decision trees.PloS one · 2026Article
- A Qualitative Study of Unplanned Hospital Readmissions: Patient Perspectives on Their Hospital to Home Transition.Nursing reports (Pavia, Italy) · 2025Article
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- Understanding the influences on hospital discharge decision-making from patient, carer and staff perspectives.BMC health services research · 2024Article
- A Qualitative Study Identifying the Potential Risk Mechanisms Leading to Hospitalization for Patients With Chronic Lung Disease.CHEST pulmonary · 2024Article
- Community health navigator-assisted transition of care from hospital to community: protocol for a randomised controlled trial.BMJ open · 2024Article
- Hospital discharge processes: Insights from patients, caregivers, and staff in an Australian healthcare setting.PloS one · 2024Article
- Qualitative Study Assessing Factors for 30-day Readmissions: A Head and Neck Oncology Cohort.The Annals of otology, rhinology, and laryngology · 2023Article
- Prevalence of factors contributing to unplanned hospital readmission of older medical patients when assessed by patients, their significant others and healthcare professionals: a cross-sectional survey.European geriatric medicine · 2023Observational
- Barriers and Facilitators of Communication in the Medication Reconciliation Process during Hospital Discharge: Primary Healthcare Professionals' Perspectives.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- Patients' attitudes towards switching to national volume-based procurement (NVBP) Drugs-a qualitative investigation in Wuhan, China.BMC health services research · 2023Article
- Readmission Within the First Day of Discharge Is Painful: Experience From an Australian General Surgical Service.Cureus · 2022Article
- Communication of palliative care needs in discharge letters from hospice providers to primary care: a multisite sequential explanatory mixed methods study.BMC palliative care · 2022Article
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Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
8 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesTo understand from a patient and carer perspective: (1) what features of the discharge process could be improved to avoid early unplanned hospital readmission (within 72 hours of acute care discharge) and (2) what elements of discharge planning could have enhanced the discharge experience.
designA qualitative descriptive design was used. Study data were collected using semi-structured interviews that were transcribed verbatim and analysed using inductive thematic analysis. Data related to participant characteristic were collected by medical record audit and summarised using descriptive statistics.
settingThree acute care hospitals from one health service in Australia.
participantsPatients who had an early unplanned hospital readmission and/or their carers, if present during the interviews and willing to participate, with patient permission.
findingsThirty interviews were conducted (23 patients only; 6 patient and carer dyads; 1 carer only). Five themes were constructed: 'experiences of care', 'hearing and being heard', 'what's wrong with me', 'not just about me' and 'all about going home'. There was considerable variability in patients' and carers' experiences of hospital care, discharge processes and early unplanned hospital readmission. Features of the discharge process that could be improved to potentially avoid early unplanned hospital readmission were better communication, optimal clinical care including ensuring readiness for discharge and shared decision-making regarding discharge timing and goals on returning home. The discharge experience could have been enhanced by improved communication between patients (and carers) and the healthcare team, not rushing the discharge process and a more coordinated approach to patient transport home from hospital.
conclusionsThe study findings highlight the complexities of the discharge process and the importance of effective communication, shared decision-making and carer engagement in optimising hospital discharge and reducing early unplanned hospital readmissions.
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