Principles for discharging patients from acute care: a scoping review of policy

Background:
Acute medicine units (AMUs) are part of acute hospital care, where length of patient stay is short and turnover is high. Expediting patient discharge safely is a major function of AMUs, which need up-to-date bespoke guidance.

Aim:
To carry out a scoping review of UK discharge policy to critically consider, compare and contrast the relevant discharge policies and guidance that underpin the assessment of acute patient discharge.

Objectives:
To inform the production of bespoke patient discharge guidance for AMUs.

Design and stages:
Identify the review questions; identify relevant studies; select the studies; chart the data; collate, summarise and report the results.

Findings:
28 patient discharge policy guidelines were identified that had no specific guidance for patient discharge from AMUs. New bespoke principles for AMUs were created through a pragmatic interpretation of current relevant policies.

Conclusion:
There is a gap in specific patient discharge guidance for AMUs. New guidance should contribute in practice to improve patient discharge.