An ecological approach to defining discharge planning in social work.

Ambiguities in definitions of discharge planning hinder clarification of the social work role. An ecological approach defines discharge planning as interprofessional, client-organization, and often interorganizational activity, focused on ensuring high quality care in a patient's transition from hospital to community. The resourcing, allocation and integration of its component tasks throughout the health-care continuum are influenced by significant and interacting environmental variables requiring further study: the strength of discharge planning policy; the point of access for planning; the patient's state and personal network; the nature of the treatment organization and its resource network.