Therefore, we discuss the current status of and issues surrounding discharge
planning and summaries for nurses in Japanese hospitals and offer suggestions
regarding human resource development for nursing staff.
7 Supporting the Transfer of Patients from Acute Care
Hospitals to Convalescent and Long-Term Care
Hospitals/Facilities
At 17.9 days, the average length of stay of hospitalization for acute care in Japan is
longer relative to an average of 6.6 days in OECD countries. This suggests that there
is the potential to deliver more care outside expensive hospital settings and closer to
people’s homes and families. Developing the role of care coordinators in transferring
patients from acute care to community settings effectively will be instrumental in
achieving this (OECD, 2014). Moreover, discharge nursing summaries are important
to coordinate this transition. In practice, it is necessary to support the transfer of
patients from acute care hospitals to convalescent and long-term care hospitals/
facilities (Murata, Takahashi, & Yakuwa, 2019).
The main research questions were as follows: What is an excellent discharge
summary, and what kind of human resource development programs are required to
provide such summaries?
To answer these questions, we reviewed differences in discharge summaries
between Japan and other countries and interviewed nursing managers of discharge
support centers of Japanese hospitals providing acute care.
8 Discharge Summaries
8.1 What Are Nursing Records?
In the Medical Practitioners’ Act (Japanese Law Translation, 2010), a medical
practitioner must enter the matters related to the medical treatment that he/she has
provided in medical record without delay. However, there is no such a duty for
nurses in the Act on Public Health Nurses, Midwives, and Nurses. Nursing records
were ordained in the Medical Care Act. In the Medical Care Act (Japanese Law
Translation, 2010), hospitals are required to have the following personnel and
facilities and prepare the following records pursuant to the provisions of an Ordinance of the MHLW: Records Concerning Medical Treatment. The purpose of
nursing records is defined as “proving nursing practice,” “guaranteeing continuity
and consistency of nursing practice,” “evaluating and improving the quality of
nursing practice,” in the Japanese Nursing Association’s “Standards of Nursing
Practice” (Japanese Law Translation, 2010). The practice of patient-centered care
Current Status and Issues with Japan’s Community-Based Integrated Care System:. . .
165
planning and summaries for nurses in Japanese hospitals and offer suggestions
regarding human resource development for nursing staff.
7 Supporting the Transfer of Patients from Acute Care
Hospitals to Convalescent and Long-Term Care
Hospitals/Facilities
At 17.9 days, the average length of stay of hospitalization for acute care in Japan is
longer relative to an average of 6.6 days in OECD countries. This suggests that there
is the potential to deliver more care outside expensive hospital settings and closer to
people’s homes and families. Developing the role of care coordinators in transferring
patients from acute care to community settings effectively will be instrumental in
achieving this (OECD, 2014). Moreover, discharge nursing summaries are important
to coordinate this transition. In practice, it is necessary to support the transfer of
patients from acute care hospitals to convalescent and long-term care hospitals/
facilities (Murata, Takahashi, & Yakuwa, 2019).
The main research questions were as follows: What is an excellent discharge
summary, and what kind of human resource development programs are required to
provide such summaries?
To answer these questions, we reviewed differences in discharge summaries
between Japan and other countries and interviewed nursing managers of discharge
support centers of Japanese hospitals providing acute care.
8 Discharge Summaries
8.1 What Are Nursing Records?
In the Medical Practitioners’ Act (Japanese Law Translation, 2010), a medical
practitioner must enter the matters related to the medical treatment that he/she has
provided in medical record without delay. However, there is no such a duty for
nurses in the Act on Public Health Nurses, Midwives, and Nurses. Nursing records
were ordained in the Medical Care Act. In the Medical Care Act (Japanese Law
Translation, 2010), hospitals are required to have the following personnel and
facilities and prepare the following records pursuant to the provisions of an Ordinance of the MHLW: Records Concerning Medical Treatment. The purpose of
nursing records is defined as “proving nursing practice,” “guaranteeing continuity
and consistency of nursing practice,” “evaluating and improving the quality of
nursing practice,” in the Japanese Nursing Association’s “Standards of Nursing
Practice” (Japanese Law Translation, 2010). The practice of patient-centered care
Current Status and Issues with Japan’s Community-Based Integrated Care System:. . .
165