Short length of stay and the discharge process: Preparing breast cancer patients appropriately

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women worldwide, increasing the relevance of an efficient and successful care process. As length of stay (LOS) in the hospital decreases, patients’ satisfaction with the LOS varies. We hypothesize that successful discharge planning can improve this evaluation. Data of 4,390 female breast cancer patients from a cross-sectional survey was analyzed. The data was collected in 2017 in 86 German hospitals. Logistic regressions were used to test hypotheses. The majority of included patients rated their LOS as appropriate. However, patients who felt better prepared for discharge were less likely to rate their stay as too short. A longer stay in the hospital further decreased this likelihood. The effect of LOS was moderated by patient experiences with preparation for discharge. As hospital LOS decreases, one challenge in allowing patients to feel sufficiently informed and ready to go home is the reduced time for face-to-face consultations. Our results indicate, however, that a strong and thorough discharge planning makes the actual number of days for LOS irrelevant for patient’s rating of LOS. The study results underscore the importance of ensuring the quality and thoroughness of the discharge process.