• To appreciate the importance of effective management of service users’ discharge from inpatient settings
• To understand the factors that can enhance service users’ experience of transition from inpatient rehabilitation settings to the community
• To learn about what elements of the discharge process could be improved to enhance service users’ experience
Discharge from inpatient rehabilitation settings can be a stressful experience for service users and mismanagement of the transition process can have negative outcomes, such as early readmission. This service evaluation explored the experience of people transitioning from inpatient rehabilitation settings to the community to identify what works well in the rehabilitation pathway discharge process and areas for improvement. Eight service users participated. All eight completed a bespoke questionnaire, six of whom took part in a subsequent semi-structured interview. Findings suggest that, overall, participants had a positive experience of transition, particularly in relation to practical and emotional support from inpatient and community rehabilitation services. Areas identified for improvement include increased involvement of family and carers during the discharge process and greater clarity about the role of the various professionals and teams involved in service users’ care once they are discharged to the community.
Mental Health Practice. doi: 10.7748/mhp.2024.e1684
Peer reviewThis article has been subject to external double-blind peer review and checked for plagiarism using automated software
Correspondence Conflict of interestNone declared
Shearn C, Fenton K, Griffiths C (2024) Exploring service users’ experience of transition from inpatient rehabilitation to community settings. Mental Health Practice. doi: 10.7748/mhp.2024.e1684
Published online: 23 January 2024
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