Self-Care Index and Post-Acute Care Discharge Score to Predict Discharge Destination of Adult Medical Inpatients: Protocol for a Multicenter Validation Study

Background Delays in patient discharge can not only lead to deterioration, especially among geriatric patients, but also incorporate unnecessary resources at the hospital level. Many of these delays and their negative impact may be preventable by early focused screening identify patients risk for transfer a post-acute care facility. Early interprofessional planning is crucial order fit appropriate individual destination. While prediction facility using score, self-care index, combination both has been shown single-center pilot study, an external validation still missing. Objective This paper outlines study protocol methodology currently being used replicate previous findings determine whether or reliably requiring facilities. Methods will use prospective data involving all phases quasi-experimental “In-HospiTOOL” conducted 7 Swiss hospitals urban rural areas. During 18-month period, consecutive adult medical admitted through emergency department included. We aim include 6000 based on sample size calculation. These enable instruments. Results expect gain more insight into predictive capability above-mentioned approach allow us get important information about generalizability three different models. The was approved institutional review board November 21, 2016, funded May 2020. Expected results are planned published spring 2021. Conclusions provide evidence prognostic properties, comparative performance, reliability scoring, suitability instruments purpose able recommend application clinical practice. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) DERR1-10.2196/21447