The purpose of this research was to clarify factors that make early hospital discharge difficult. We found that this hospital was different from other general hospitals. We repeatedly revised early discharge guidelines and were able to find factors reliable about 24% higher.
  Our findings would contribute to the shortening of hospital stay, the promotion of the efficiency of our work, the strengthening of regional alliances. What we should consider most important is the realization of the discharge that is not forced.

Moshiokuri, or explaining what one did to one's successor before calling it a day, has long been regarded as a practice indispensable for the smooth continuation of nursing business. However, there has been much to be done in terms of efficiency. In our hospital, moshiokuri was taken up as a problem because it took long and prevented nurses from getting down to work by bedsides without delay. In 1994 the nursing record committee started to examine the practice and improvedthe roster. Later, the card indexing system for individuals was abolished. In 1998, the nursing department made the abolishment of moshiokuri practice its chief aim to improve nursing efficiency. For the attainment of the aim, the nursing record committee played an important role as a prime mover. While exchanges of information between wards were being promoted, study sessions were frequently held to enrich nursing records and improve the efficiency of nursing work. Thus, moshiokuri was partlydiscontinued and abolished totally in March, 1999. Now, the nurses have plenty of timecaring bed-ridden patients. Improvement has been made on the nursing record.

Introduction: We perform our trials in Tsurumi ward, Yokohama city aiming at reducing the number of “cancer refugees” to zero. State: There are many patients who receive cancer therapy outside their hometown. Once their treatment is finished due to progressive disease or deteriorating condition, they are told to leave the hospital and to get palliative care in their district. And they become so-called “cancer refugees”. The beds of palliative care units are limited so the ability to accept patients in case of emergencies is poor. In Tsurumi ward, here are a lot of home care clinics providing palliative care but the place patients want to be or receive palliative care when their condition deteriorates isn't fixed. We organized the “Tsurumi Homecare Network” as the core of medical cooperation, and have worked on improving palliative care and increasing patients who die at home. Specifically, our hospital has played a central role as a special place for palliative care, we send out our original questionnaire to home care clinics to find out how they perform palliative care and introduce patients to the appropriate clinic. Patients who are in need of hospitalization are assured acceptance. On the other hand, we propose the cancer treatment hospitals to follow their patients together with us from their early stage of cancer treatment. Problem: To maintain a good relationship for regional palliative care, improving the management for outpatients, strict and timely backup system, advanced quality of homecare-supporting staff for palliative care and cooperation between home care clinic doctors are necessary.