Avoidable days in healthcare occur when patients who are medically ready for discharge are kept longer than necessary in the hospital. This is an inefficient practice that can be costly and frustrating for both the patient and the hospital. Poor clinical workflow and inadequate communication between staff members can lead to delays in care, contributing to avoidable days.
Delays can occur when clinicians don’t communicate regularly or efficiently with other departments, resulting in a lack of timely coordination of resources needed for the patient’s discharge. When essential components such as medication reconciliation, physician orders, patient education materials, and post-discharge follow-up are overlooked or delayed resulting in extended hospital stays. Additionally, using outdated processes or manual documentation methods increases opportunities for errors which further prolongs hospital stays.