In appropriate delays in hospital discharge for AIDS patients add to t
he expense of health care, as well as to the stress felt by the patien
t. It has been postulated that delays are due to a lack of suitable ou
t-of-hospital services and weak patient support networks. The charts o
f AIDS patients discharged from hospitals in northern New Jersey and s
outhern New Jersey/Philadelphia, PA between 3/88 and 1/90 (n = 601 dis
charges for 454 patients) were examined to determine the discharge ser
vices or goods which were ordered and/or received, the extent of actua
l delay, and the causes of these delays. While regional variations wer
e evident, differences in the profession of the discharge planner were
associated with having care ordered and received and delays in discha
rge; as were availability of a support system, presence of a case mana
ger, and race. A nurse or a social worker (as compared to a doctor as
discharge planner) were more likely to effectively order and arrange o
ut-of-hospital care, and were thus more likely to experience delays in
hospital discharge. Failures of physicians to make timely requests fo
r care were also associated with delays. Recommendations for future re
search were made.