The predictability of health literacy, pre-discharge teaching, care coordination before discharge on readiness for hospital discharge among older medical patients

Abstract

The readiness for hospital discharge enhances the transition of older medical patients from the hospital to their homes or health service facilities smoothly. This predictive correlational research aimed to investigate the predictability of health literacy, pre-discharge teaching, and care coordination before discharge on readiness for hospital discharge among older medical patients. The sample comprised 85 older medical patients admitted to a super tertiary hospital. Data were collected through an interview form assessing older medical patients’ health literacy, discharge teaching quality, care coordination before discharge, and readiness for hospital discharge. Analysis involved descriptive statistics, Pearson’s product-moment correlation, and multiple regression analysis. The research revealed that the samples scored high in readiness for hospital discharge, with a mean of 8.34 points (SD = 0.85). Health literacy, encompassing understanding health information, communication skills, decision-making skills, self-management skills, discharge teaching, and care coordination before discharge, collectively explained 39.1% of the variance in readiness for hospital discharge among older medical patients (Adjusted R2 = 0.391). Significant predictors of readiness for hospital discharge included care coordination before discharge (ß = 0.375, p<0.001) and discharge teaching (ß = 0.321, p=0.002). These findings provide essential information and guidelines for multidisciplinary teams to develop programs or guidelines for preparing older medical patients before hospital discharge.