Factors that influence the decision-making of an interdisciplinary rehabilitation team when choosing a discharge destination for stroke survivors.

This study explored the culture of one interdisciplinary rehabilitation team in British Columbia (BC), Canada, to identify the specific client, clinical, and family factors considered by team members when determining post-hospital discharge placement. The study took the form of an ethnography of a health care team on a stroke unit of a Canadian hospital using observations of the interdisciplinary rehabilitation team meetings and follow-up interviews with team members. The findings from the study indicate post-hospital discharge destination decisions were influenced by specific social, economic, and policy factors; specific types of interactions among members of the team; and the condition of stroke survivors, and the ability and willingness of the patient's family to contribute to home care.