Impact on Bereaved Families’ Experience of Deceased Patients Discharge Using the Hospital’s Main Entrance

Abstract

Our former independent palliative care center has become a palliative care ward in our new general hospital, and deceased patients continue to be discharged through the building’s main entrance. We compared the impact of this change on the discharge experience of bereaved families. As a result, the number of bereaved families who felt uneasy when their relatives were discharged from the hospital increased from 13% to 23%. On the other hand, the number of bereaved families who had a feeling of uneasiness when encountering the discharge of other deceased patients decreased from 52% to 28%. Although positive feedback was received for discharge using the main entrance, our findings emphasize the need for thorough consideration by medical staff of the manner of discharge in general hospitals. In response to bereaved families’ requests, our hospital has introduced a discharge system that allows families to choose whether to leave through the main entrance or through other entrances, aiming to improve the discharge experience.