Reference to the healthcare encounter being concluded. Links this discharge record to the specific inpatient visit or hospital stay. Required to establish the relationship between the admission, treatment period, and discharge events.

Example: "encounter-12345"

Reference to the corresponding admission record that initiated this inpatient stay. Provides traceability from the point of entry to the point of exit, enabling calculation of length of stay and analysis of admission-to-discharge pathways.

Example: "admission-67890"

The precise date and time when the patient was officially discharged from the healthcare facility. Used to calculate length of stay, determine billing periods, and track bed turnover. Critical for operational metrics and compliance reporting.

Example: "2024-03-15T14:30:00Z"

The destination or outcome status of the patient upon discharge. Indicates where the patient went or their status after leaving the facility. Essential for quality metrics, readmission risk assessment, and care coordination with post-acute providers.

Values: home, home-health, snf, rehab, ltc, hospice, deceased, other, left-ama, transferred

Example: "home"

Reference to the receiving healthcare facility when the patient is transferred to another institution. Applicable when discharge disposition is 'transferred', 'snf', 'rehab', 'ltc', or 'hospice'. Facilitates care coordination and information exchange between facilities.

Example: "facility-98765"

Reference to the healthcare provider who authorized and completed the discharge process. Typically the attending physician responsible for the patient's care. Establishes clinical accountability and provides contact information for discharge-related questions.

Example: "practitioner-11223"

Comprehensive written instructions provided to the patient or caregiver at discharge. Includes information about activity restrictions, wound care, symptom monitoring, when to seek emergency care, and general self-care guidance. Critical for patient safety and informed self-management.

Example: "Rest for 48 hours, keep incision dry, monitor for fever above 101F, avoid heavy lifting for 2 weeks. Call if you experience increased pain, redness, or drainage from surgical site."

Indicates whether post-discharge follow-up care is required. When true, the patient needs scheduled appointments or ongoing monitoring. Used to flag patients requiring care coordination and to track compliance with discharge planning standards.

Example: true

Detailed instructions for post-discharge follow-up care including scheduled appointments, tests, procedures, or specialist consultations. Specifies timing, purpose, and contact information for follow-up providers. Essential for continuity of care and preventing complications.

Example: "Schedule appointment with Dr. Smith within 7-10 days for suture removal. Complete blood work at lab within 3 days. Call cardiology office at 555-0123 to schedule stress test within 2 weeks."

Summary of discharge medications including new prescriptions, continued medications, and discontinued drugs. Provides a snapshot of the medication regimen the patient should follow after discharge. Critical for medication reconciliation and preventing adverse drug events during care transitions.

Example: "Continue: Lisinopril 10mg daily, Metformin 500mg twice daily. NEW: Amoxicillin 500mg three times daily for 7 days. STOPPED: Ibuprofen - use acetaminophen instead."

Dietary guidance and restrictions for the patient to follow after discharge. May include therapeutic diets, food restrictions, fluid intake requirements, or nutritional recommendations. Important for managing chronic conditions and supporting recovery.

Example: "Low sodium diet (less than 2000mg per day), limit fluids to 1.5 liters daily, avoid grapefruit and grapefruit juice. Eat small frequent meals. Increase fiber intake."

The total number of days between admission and discharge. Calculated by subtracting the admission date/time from the discharge date/time. Key metric for hospital utilization, case mix analysis, reimbursement, and quality benchmarking. Partial days are typically rounded up.

Example: 4.5