Care transition of patients with chronic diseases from the discharge of the emergency service to their homes.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the quality of the care transition for patients with chronic non-communicable diseases discharged from the emergency department to home. METHOD: A cross-sectional observational and epidemiological study conducted at an emergency department in the South of Brazil with 117 patients and 81 caregivers. The Care Transitions Measure was applied by phone to collect data. A descriptive and analytical statistical analysis was performed. RESULTS: The quality of the care transition's total score was close to satisfactory (69.5). The "Self-Management Training" factor had the highest score (70.6), while "Understanding medications" had the lowest (68.3). Items related to understanding medications and confidence in carrying out care after discharge obtained lower scores. CONCLUSIONS: A moderate quality of the care transition was evidenced, as well as the need to adopt strategies to improve the emergency department discharge process and the continuity of the care of patients with chronic diseases.