I will first ask you a few personal questions. You do not have to answer any questions that makeyou feel uncomfortable.
Demographics:
1. How old are you? "66 last week."
2. When was the last time you were hospitalized overnight? "Last year."
Hospital Discharge Experience: (Script: Now I am going to ask you some questions about your experiences surrounding your hospitalization and discharge from the hospital.)
3. While you were a patient in the hospital, can you tell me about any meetings or interactions the staff had with you about your discharge from the hospital prior to going home?
4. What did you find helpful with these discussions?
5. What do you think may have been missed?
6. What are some additional questions you wished had been asked?
7. What are your thoughts about how the hospital staff helped you plan for going home?
8. Were given a listing of community services on discharge such as, the nearest senior citizen center, meals on wheels, or transportation?
9. What type of services did you use following your discharge?
10. Did you receive a follow up phone call from the hospital's Case Management department after discharge?
11. What type of resources did the hospital staff provide you with as far as community services; meals on wheels, companion services, physical therapy, housekeeping, or nursing services?
12. What type of resources do you think are most needed for older adults who are being discharged from the hospital in your area?
13. How could the discharge process have provided better service for older adults?
14. Do you have any other thoughts to add to this topic?
15. Did you attend any meetings with the nursing staff, the doctor or a physical therapist?
16. What do you feel should have occurred during this meeting, that did not occur?
17. Were you given a listing of community services on discharge, such as, the nearest senior citizen center, information on meals on wheels, or a senior companion service for any additional needs, such as meal preparation or light housekeeping?
18. Were you given a chance to ask questions about your diagnosis, or any treatment during your hospital stay or at home?
19. Did you receive a follow up phone call from the hospital's Case Management department after discharge?
Researcher will only use 15 of the interview questions since 4 questions are very similar.
Research questions
Research Question 1. What are the perspectives of older adults of the discharge process and
discharge planning following hospitalization in an acute care hospital?
Research Question 2. What are the perspectives of older adults of barriers to an effective
discharge process and discharge planning?
Research Question 3. What are the perspectives of older adults of facilitators of the discharge
process and discharge planning?
Researcher also used a list of 5 themes that Researcher used to represent each area of the healthcare that Researcher focused on. Researcher don't know if you would want to include them or not: (Since my committee does not want to see Researcher, my can only type researcher).
Themes
Each theme will contribute its own area of the research:
Theme 1, represent the admission and needs assessment, and its color is red, to symbolize
the initial process of discharge planning.
Theme 2, discharge planning/ community resources, its color is blue, to stress the
importance and attention required of this theme.
Theme 3, Post discharge planning, its color is yellow, as a reminder of the urgency to
follow-up on recent discharged older adult patients.
Theme 4, readmission, and its color is green, as a reminder to initiate an assessment on
admission, including current needs at home.
Theme 5, Medicare reimbursement, and its color is orange, to represent the liability that
occurs due to unnecessary readmissions.