INTERDISCIPLINARY COLLABORATION AND DISCHARGE PLANNING COMMUNICATION FOR ELDERS

The effects of personal characteristics and perceptions of interdiscip linary collaboration on discharge planning communication were examined for nurses, physicians, and social workers in two hospitals. The mode l for the study explained 61.7% of the variance in discharge planning communication for nurses. For all 142 health professionals, communicat ion openness with social workers, problem solving between nurses and p hysicians, and collaboration with social workers were important to dis charge planning communication. For nurses, communication satisfaction with patients and families also was important. Effective discharge pla nning communication (DPC)-follow-up care information that is timely, a ccurate, and complete-is a distinguishing feature of successful organi zations in heavily managed-care environments. Containing costs and ens uring optimal patient outcomes depend greatly on the interdisciplinary collaboration activities of nurses, physicians, and social workers in communicating plans for elderly patients' discharges from the hospita l. Nursing administrators and other healthcare managers want to ensure that health professionals communicate effectively so that patients re cover successfully after discharge.