Interprofessional actions in responsible discharge: contributions to transition and continuity of care

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the interprofessional team’s perception of the actions carried out by means of responsible hospital discharge, and their contribution to improving the transition and continuity of patient care. METHODS: A qualitative study was carried out in two hospitalization units, in October – November 2020, interviewing health professionals from a teaching hospital in the state of São Paulo. The reports were transcribed and subjected to thematic content analysis. RESULTS: Twelve professionals participated (doctor, nurse, physiotherapist, nutritionist, speech therapist and social worker) and three thematic categories emerged from the interviews: 1. informational continuity in responsible discharge; 2. interaction between professionals and services for the transition of care; and 3. workload management for better transition and continuity of care. CONCLUSION: The team recognized interprofessional advances and challenges in responsible discharge related to the informational and relational continuity of patient care and highlighted the (over)workload as an unfavorable aspect in the transition process, generating impacts for patients, professionals and health services.