Post-discharge follow-up system in psychiatric patients: A case study of Farabi Hospital in Isfahan

BACKGROUND: Mental illness is one of the most common problems in human societies and the continuation of care and post-discharge follow-up. This study was conducted to define a post-discharge follow-up framework for Farabi Hospital in Isfahan. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This was a multistage study, including, interviews literature review, and focus group discussions. Participants included 18 purposefully selected nurses, physicians, and managers, directly involved in the discharge process of Farabi Hospital in Isfahan. The interviews were semi-structured. Data were organized using MAXQDA(10) software. The initial framework was set through the extraction of semantic main and secondary codes. The framework was finalized through three several focus group discussion sessions. RESULTS: Results included of 17 sub-categories and seven main categories as “education,” organizational arrangement,” “team-building,” “patient and family participation and trust,” “engaging some supportive institutions of community,” “process management” and “information management.” CONCLUSIONS: To implement a post-discharge follow-up system for psychiatric patients in Farabi Hospital of Isfahan must be concentrated to patient and family education, team building, organizational arrangements, participation, and trust of patients and family, while engaging community health centers and notice to information and management and process management.