We made a random sampling survey of medical institutions in Japan on progress in systematization of discharge planning. The results indicated that only 20% of the medical institutes surveyed had a discharge planning specialist. For the purpose of promoting the quality of care in the future, Japanese medical institutions had to tackle problems associated with systemization of discharge planning, setting-up of discharge planning specialists and department of discharge planning, planning and correcting discharge plan with patients and their family, disclosure of information on social resources, servicing of effective screening, monitoring and follow-up, reconsideration of the outpatient system, setting-up and amelioration of home nursing care services, and strengthening the collaboration with related facilities.

With an eye to setting up an in-house system of discharge planning, we conducted a nationwide survey of hospitals without discharge planners. Questionnaires were sent out to medical institutions sampled randomly, asking about the necessity of discharge planners, the role they are expected to play, possibilities of staffing with such specialists, and so on.
The results were as follows:
A majority of the hospitals which responded, 68.9%, said that they wanted discharge planners. Social workers or nurses were regarded as the most competent for the job. Asked about special qualities the planners should have, most respondents cited a good knowledge and experience with respect to “health resources, welfare and administration, ” “home care suport, ” and “ medicine and nursing” in addition to “a talentfor coordination.” The main tasks the planners are expected to do were to “maintain close contact with community-based health care and service providers, ” to “coordinate with the hospital staff” and to “arrange discharge.”
Of th responded 39.5% said that the idea of establishing a discharge planning system is feasible if talented people are available.