A Systematic Approach for Providing Concrete Services and Discharge Planning Based on Using Information Handouts

Abstract

While information handouts are commonly used in healthcare education, this paper is about social workers systematically developing and using them to provide timely, efficient, and ultimately better patient care for concrete services and discharge planning. How to identify topics and suggestions for composing user-friendly handouts are discussed. Many clinical uses for handouts are considered including: engaging, assessing, and empowering patients, groups, and families. Related uses are considered such as educating the treatment team and students. How handouts can be a crucial bridge to developing a comprehensive, focused social resource database is considered.

Follow-up survey results with an inner city VA social work staff (N = 41) confirm that social work discharge planners and non-discharge planners find systematically developed handouts valuable for providing efficient, better patient care.

Key Words:

• Concrete services
• database
• discharge planning
• empowerment
• handouts