Demographic characteristics and patient experience of participants
| Variable | No. (%) of participants* n = 27 |
|---|---|
| Characteristic | |
| Admission diagnosis | |
| Congestive heart failure | 13 (48) |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease | 5 (18) |
| Pneumonia | 9 (33) |
| Sex | |
| Male | 10 (37) |
| Female | 17 (63) |
| Age, yr, mean ± SD | 72 ± 15 |
| Length of stay, d, mean ± SD | 10 ± 5 |
| Presence of language barrier | 6 (22) |
| Limited health literacy | 13 (48) |
| Physical disability affecting mobility | 13 (48) |
| Sensory disability | 12 (44) |
| Living with caregiver | 15 (56) |
| Reliance on family for | |
| Self-care | 10 (37) |
| Food preparation | 11 (41) |
| Medication administration | 6 (22) |
| Transportation | 12 (44) |
| Appointments with doctors | 11 (41) |
| Receiving home support services | 17 (63) |
| No. of days between discharge and interview | |
| < 3 | 8 (30) |
| 3–7 | 10 (37) |
| > 7 | 9 (33) |
| Experience within 1 wk of discharge | |
| Doctors, nurses or other hospital staff talked with patient about whether he/she would have the help needed when leaving hospital | 11 (41) |
| Received information in writing about what symptoms or health problems to look out for after leaving hospital | 15 (56) |
| Had clear understanding about all prescribed medications, including those he/she was taking before hospital stay, before leaving hospital | |
| Not at all | 3 (11) |
| Partly | 5 (18) |
| Quite a bit | 7 (26) |
| Completely | 12 (44) |
| Received enough information from hospital staff about what to do if he/she was worried about condition or treatment after leaving hospital | |
| Not at all | 8 (30) |
| Partly | 6 (22) |
| Quite a bit | 2 (7) |
| Completely | 11 (41) |
| Had better understanding of condition at discharge than at admission | |
| Not at all | 6 (22) |
| Partly | 4 (15) |
| Quite a bit | 4 (15) |
| Completely | 13 (48) |
| Had clear understanding about follow-up appointments and investigations at discharge | |
| Strongly disagree | 3 (11) |
| Disagree | 3 (11) |
| Agree | 9 (33) |
| Strongly agree | 12 (44) |
Note: SD = standard deviation.
↵* Except where noted otherwise.