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Safe Path Home – Hospital Discharge Barriers for Patients Experiencing Homelessness



Planning for a safe discharge from hospital is part of every patient care journey and starts at the time of admission. It is the responsibility of the multidisciplinary care team to coordinate a discharge plan with the patient that aligns support systems and identifies anticipated barriers. For patients experiencing homelessness the discharge plan can be significantly more complex and barriers can result in delayed discharge. If these multiple barriers are not incorporated into the plan and coordinated than for those patients’ experiencing homelessness are at greater risk when unsafely discharged from hospital to situations which may put their health at further risk (Coleman, 2013).


To help explore this specific patient care journey, I wanted to apply the National Health Services population health framework for healthcare providers (2021). The infographic displays the multiple, integrated influences that collaboratively work together:

This framework is applied to the discharge planning for a patient experiencing homelessness by supporting the multidisciplinary healthcare team to incorporate the multilevel, connected pies as an opportunity to assess, plan and implement a discharge that includes identified barriers with strategies to alleviate or address as part of the discharge plan. There is significant opportunity for the development of a coordinated, collaborative plan that is inclusive of hospital and community resources recognizing the need to ensure a safe discharge that includes stable housing, connection to community resources and coordinated access to healthcare services. Not only will hospitals be acting morally and socially responsible while saving money, but they will also be positively contributing to local efforts to prevent homelessness, and to the promotion of the health and well being of patients who have been experiencing homelessness (Coleman, 2013).


References


Coleman, A. (2013). Hospital discharge: safe and effective models for people experiencing homelessness. Retrieved October 22, 2021, from


National Health Services. (2021). Population health framework for healthcare providers. Retrieved October 20, 2021, from

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