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To facilitate the reception and care of discharged patients, streamlining processes at the University Hospital and promoting a seamless transition to continuity of care services post-discharge.

Hospitalised patients undergo the Blaylock risk assessment screening score (BRASS), a screening tool identifying those at risk of complex discharge.

Pre-pandemic, patients with a medium-to-high risk of complex discharge were predominantly discharged to their residence or long-term care facilities. During the pandemic, coinciding with an overall reduction in hospitalisation rates, there was a decrease in patients being discharged to their residence.

The analysis of discharges, with the classification of patients into risk groups, revealed a coherence between the BRASS score and the characteristics of the studied sample. This tool aids physicians in decision-making by identifying the need for a planned discharge in a systematic and organised manner, preventing the loss of crucial information.

Integrated care (IC) is mainly studied from the perspectives of organisations or employees. However, less research is focussed on how patients themselves experience person-centred (PC) IC in practice. This context-specific, small-scale study examines what PC-IC means to older patients who went through joint replacement surgery (JRS).

The data consists of ten in-depth interviews of older patients, focussing on their experiences of care during their patient journey related to joint knee or hip replacement surgery. The data were analysed with thematic analysis.

Three central dimensions of PC-IC for older patients were identified: information sharing, continuity of care and compassionate encountering. Human validation and compassionate encountering were experienced as important aspects of PC-IC. Compassionate encountering was concretised through professionals’ very small everyday practices, which made the patient feel comfortable and respected. Instead, probably due to the medical and quite straight-forward nature of the joint replacement care process, patients seem to be pleased to trust the expertise of professionals and did not necessarily expect an active role or participation in the decision-making.

This Finnish case study focusses on the patients’ authentic perceptions of what is central to person-centred IC in the specific context of JRS.

The aim of this study was to describe nurses' and other health care professionals' views about their patient education skills and how to develop them.

The data for the study were collected from the participants of the online education course on patient education. The data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis.

The results show that, in the experience of health care professionals, it is important to make a shift from the professional‐led education and counselling towards an education relationship in which the professional and the patient are equals and represent different kinds of expertise and to develop patient education towards patient‐centredness supporting the patients' self‐management.

The sample used in the research is small.

The participants in this study experienced that, as patient educators, it is necessary for them to acknowledge their own abilities, beliefs and values in order to be able to develop their patient education skills. This is noteworthy because appreciating and acknowledging the importance of reflection is one prerequisite for the paradigm shift from the traditional patient education model towards patient‐centred education. Consequently, it is important to investigate further the best ways of facilitating the development of health care professionals' skills with regard to patient‐centred education.

The study showed that, through education and training, health care professionals can recognize the need to develop their patient education towards patient‐centredness.

Day surgery is now a major element of surgical practice. The paper aims to examine if those patients undergoing day surgery from in‐patient wards receive the same standard of care as those attending a formal day case surgical unit (DCSU), which is important.

Two cohorts of 50 consecutive patients undergoing day surgery either on an in‐patient ward or in the DCSU were asked about the pre‐operative checks that had been made in relation to their safe discharge.

Confirmation by in‐patient ward staff of safety issues outlined in guidelines published by the Royal College of Surgeons of England was variable. Of particular concern was that at least two of the recommendations relate to important safety issues such as driving a motor vehicle.

This paper is of use because ensuring that patients fulfil the Royal College's guidelines for day case surgery is important, no matter what surgery the patient undergoes. Patient safety may be compromised by failing to verify that patients are being discharged into a safe environment.

Nurses heavily influence patient care quality and safety. This paper aims to examine socioeconomic and organizational/system factors affecting patient safety and quality perceptions.

A questionnaire was constructed to gather demographic, managerial support, information technology implementation and integration information. Data were collected from nurses in five Riyadh hospitals, Saudi Arabia. Registered nurses working in hospital departments participated in the survey. A total of 566 completed questionnaires were returned. Subsequent data were analyzed through binary logistic regression.

Factors that improve patient safety and the likelihood that nurses use their own facility include: fewer visible errors; ability to communicate suggestions; information technology support and training; and a confidential error reporting system.

The survey was a cross‐sectional study. Consequently, it is difficult to establish causation. Furthermore, nursing in these hospitals is dominated by foreign nationals. Also, as with all surveys, this research may be subject to response bias. Although the questionnaire was randomly distributed, there were no mechanisms to assure privacy and minimize peer influence. The high positive patient safety perceptions may be influenced by either individual or peer biases.

Nurses are important communicators; especially about hospital safety and quality. The research informs leaders about areas that need considering and improving. Findings indicate that system factors, including functional feedback, suggestions, and error reporting significantly affect patient safety improvements. Likewise, nurse education to operate their information systems has positive effects. Healthcare leaders need to understand factors that affect patient safety perceptions when creating a patient safety culture.

Few international articles examine the factors that influence nurses' patient safety perceptions or examine those factors that affect these perceptions. This paper adds value by researching what influences patient safety perceptions among Riyadh nurses.

This paper reports on research carried out during the summer of 2000, within a National Health hospital in the West Midlands region of England. It looks specifically at the queuing problems in the busiest clinic of the hospital, and involves the observation and questioning of 280 patients. The research considers Maister’s proposition, that satisfaction equals perception minus expectation. The results of the interviews and observations produced some unexpected outcomes, as well as confirming similar research in other areas of the service sector. The research continues by investigating the options available to the hospital’s management for managing the patient’s perception of their wait, and suggests operational ways of improving the actual waiting process.

There is a growing consensus within the NHS of the importance of obtaining feedback from patients in order to improve the quality of health care; consequently, many patient satisfaction surveys are now undertaken. However, much research is based on provider‐held assumptions about service quality. This study focuses on patient satisfaction with coronary bypass surgery, starting with the concerns expressed by patients and using these as a basis for evaluating different aspects of care. The paired comparison technique was employed to produce a ranked list of aspects of care that were perceived to be in greatest need of improvement. Some difficulties were encountered in administering the ranking technique to patients in a highly specialized health‐care setting; however, results were obtained and validated for follow‐up patients. The item of most concern to these patients was a lack of sensitivity about when patients felt ready for discharge.

Using computer simulation, this paper seeks to model the emergency care process in a hospital and evaluate the effects of some proposed changes to improve patient wait times in the process.

The paper is based upon a case study conducted at the hospital and uses historical data provided by the hospital to simulate the emergency care process.

The simulation results demonstrate that the changes proposed can shorten patient wait times in the emergency care process. The proposed changes involve adding another payment station and a new short‐stay ward in the process. Based upon the results, the paper supports the implementation of the changes proposed.

A couple of limitations are recognized in this paper. First, the simulation does not consider varying the capacity of resources and locations involved in the emergency care process. Second, the simulation does not consider patients by clinical disciplines in which they are treated.

The simulation results show that computer simulation can be an effective decision support tool in modelling the emergency care process and evaluating the effects of changes in the process. The results would be helpful to those who are considering reengineering and improving emergency care or other similar processes in hospitals.

Based upon a case study using real‐world data, this paper extends the line of studies on computer simulation in healthcare by considering not only patient wait times in the emergency care process but also some ways to improve patient wait times and their effects on the process.

A questionnaire concerning their out‐patient consultation was completed by 372 patients attending 17 different clinics over a two‐day period at East Birmingham Hospital. The majority were satisfied with their consultations and felt better informed but many waited excessively long periods and many could not give the name or status of the doctor they had seen. The patients identified the hospital doctor as being more knowledgeable and, therefore, preferable for follow‐up care when compared to their general practitioner. Because of this, they were prepared to be inconvenienced to achieve hospital follow‐up.

This paper describes several approaches for implementing quality improvement initiatives to improve patient satisfaction, which enables health‐care organizations to position themselves for success in today's global and increasingly competitive environment. Specifically, measuring the views of patients, improving patient satisfaction through a community‐wide effort, and using a Six Sigma program are discussed. Each of these programs can be an effective mechanism for quality improvement. A key component to quality improvement techniques involves collaborative efforts by all health‐care professionals and managers as they seek to increase patient satisfaction.