Development and Evaluation of a Transitional Care Program for Patients Discharged from Military Hospitals

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate a transitional care program for patients discharged from military hospitals. The study consists of two phases: developing the program and evaluating its effectiveness. METHODS: The conceptual framework used to guide the development of the program was Meleis's transition theory. A quasi-experimental design was employed for this study. Participants were recruited from patients discharged from one military hospital, 72 in the control group and 56 in the experiment group. Data were analyzed using SPSS WIN 12.0 program with chi-square, Fisher's exact test, independent t-test, and mixed model. RESULTS: Participants in the transitional care program reported promoting a positive personal condition, and more healthy patterns of response in the first week after being discharged and a smoother discharge transition. CONCLUSION: The transitional care program developed for discharge patients from military hospital promoted discharge readiness and promoted smooth discharge transition.