Hospital discharge: results from an Italian multicenter prospective study using Blaylock Risk Assessment Screening Score.

PURPOSE To analyze the predictive validity and reliability of the Blaylock Risk Assessment Screening Score (BRASS) Index in a large group of patients. METHODS Prospective multicenter observational study was conducted in six Italian hospitals. Data were collected in three phases. FINDINGS Seven hundred eleven patients were recruited. The mean length of hospitalization for low-risk patients was significantly shorter than those in the medium and high-risk groups. Patients with a BRASS Index lower than 10, unlike those with a higher BRASS Index, were mainly discharged home. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicate that the BRASS Index is useful to identify patients at risk for prolonged hospitalization. CLINICAL RELEVANCE The use of a validated BRASS instrument can be useful to screen the patients, improving individual discharge planning.