Standards › Standard 34 › Standard operating procedures (SOPs)
Standard operating procedure (SOP) · REH-SOP-004 · Version 1.0 · Approved by the ASF Expert Committee
Supports: 34.6
At a glance
- Discharge planning starts early in the course of treatment.
- The plan covers home environment, caregiver support, community resources and follow-up therapy (REH-FRM-004).
- The plan is agreed with the patient and caregiver before discharge.
- No patient is discharged on the day of referral without a plan.
- Stop and get help straight away if: a patient is discharged with no home access arrangement or no plan.
1. Purpose
To make sure a patient can get home and keep improving after rehabilitation (34.6).
2. Scope
| Applies to | Clinical and support staff in the hospital |
| Locations | All wards, clinics and departments of the facility |
| When | Whenever the activity described is carried out |
| Does not apply to | Activities covered by another document listed in section 15 |
3. Definitions
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Clinical lead | The doctor or nurse in charge of the area at the time |
4. Background
Patients who leave rehabilitation without a plan for home and community often fall back. Planning the discharge from the start, with the community and the family, makes the gains last.
5. Responsibilities
| Role | Responsibility | Competence |
|---|---|---|
| Rehabilitation lead clinician | Starts the plan and agrees it with the patient | Clinical director |
| Social worker or discharge coordinator | Arranges home and community support | Rehabilitation lead clinician |
6. Materials and equipment
| Item | Requirement | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Records and forms named in this document | Current version | Checked before use |
7. Safety
- Stop and call for help if a patient is at immediate risk. Do not delay urgent care to complete paperwork.
8. Before you start
- Confirm the forms and equipment named in this document are available and current.
9. Procedure
Step 1. Start early.
- Start the discharge plan at admission and record the date.
Key point: Started.
Step 2. Plan.
- Address the home environment, caregiver, community resources and follow-up therapy (REH-FRM-004).
Key point: Planned.
Step 3. Agree and discharge.
- Agree the plan with the patient and caregiver before discharge.
Key point: Agreed.
10. Decision points
- No decision points in this procedure.
11. Special situations
| Situation | Action |
|---|---|
| Out of hours | Follow the same steps. Use the on-call contact on the wall of the area. |
12. Escalation
- Any serious problem goes to the duty clinical lead at once and to the clinical director the same day.
13. Monitoring
| Measure | Target | Frequency | Owner | If not met |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Discharges with agreed reintegration plan | 100% | Monthly | Rehabilitation lead clinician | Escalate to the clinical director |
14. Records
| Record | Kept in | Retention |
|---|---|---|
| Record named in this document | Patient record or the area file | the period set by the facility’s records policy years |
15. Training
- Staff are trained in this document at induction and refreshed each year, with a recorded competency check.
16. Related documents
| ID | Title | Use |
|---|---|---|
| REH-FRM-004 | Discharge and reintegration plan record | Record |
17. Evidence
| Reference | Note |
|---|---|
| E-009 | Based on WHO Rehabilitation in Health Systems (2019), the Global Patient Safety Action Plan 2021–2030, and the ASF Fitness and Wellness and Aftercare standards. |
| E-006 | ASF Policy Framework v1.2. Adapted. |
| E-009 | ASF Expert Committee consensus. |
18. Change history
| Version | Date | What changed | Approval |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | the date of approval | First version | set Expert Committee approval |
E-learning for this document
References
- Accréditation Sans Frontières (2026). ASF Policy Framework v1.2. (E-006)
- Accréditation Sans Frontières (2026). ASF Expert Committee consensus on Standard 1. (E-009)