Appropriate and inappropriate influences on outpatient discharge decision making in dermatology: a prospective qualitative study.

Abstract

Outpatient discharge decision making in dermatology is poorly understood. To identify the influences on clinicians' thought processes when making discharge decisions in dermatology outpatient clinics. Forty clinicians from 11 National Health Service Trusts in England were interviewed. The interviews were audiorecorded, transcribed, coded and thematically analysed. The mean age of the clinicians was 48.8 years (range 33.0-67.0), 17 (43%) were men and 19 (48%) had > 20 years of clinical experience. One hundred and forty-eight influences were reported, with five main themes: (i) disease-based influences included type of diagnosis (100% of clinicians), guidelines (100%) and treatment needed (100%); (ii) clinician-based influences included the clinician's level of experience (100%), seniority (37%), emotional attitude (95%), 'gut feeling' (25%), personal attitude towards discharge (45%) and level of perception (100%); (iii) patient-based influences included patients' ability to cope with their disease (100%), wishes (70%), quality of life (32%), command of English (40%) and cultural background (25%); (iv) practice-based influences included good primary care (100%), secondary support structure (100%) and clinic capacity pressure (67%); (v) policy-based influences included pressure from hospital managers (57%) and an active discharge policy (7%). Fourteen (9%) influences were potentially inappropriate. This study has identified multiple factors influencing outpatient discharge decision making. This provides the basis for developing evidence-based training to improve discharge decision appropriateness.