A discharge planning patient information system.

A computerised patient information system aimed at improving the administration of discharge planning of patients with complex care requirements is described. The system was developed in two major acute general hospitals and has been operational since 1988. The system also transparently records key information about bed utilisation by patients awaiting a variety of discharge outcomes, including rehabilitation and permanent residential care. The extent of bed utilisation by patients awaiting residential care as measured by this system was compared with the results obtained by the conventional method of measuring this phenomenon in Australia--Nursing Home Type bed-days. The Nursing Home Type approach underestimated bed utilisation by this group of patients by 50 per cent, and failed to identify more than 60 per cent of the patients who were recommended for permanent residential care.