SUMMARY
Diane E. Holland, Ph.D., R.N., conducts research focused on improving the quality of health care for individuals and families centered on transitioning care across settings safely and effectively.
Discharge planning is the process generally associated with transitions after hospitalization; however, there is no standardized description of discharge planning in clinical literature. Effective versus ineffective processes of discharge planning have not been identified. The clinical and administrative outcomes that may be sensitive to this nursing activity are very poorly described.
The outcomes of discharge planning are commonly described as decreased length of stay, decreased unplanned readmissions, improved patient and family satisfaction with the entire episode of care, and information availability post-discharge. Yet inconsistencies in the literature point to a need for a systematic approach to account for factors other than quality of inpatient care that influence outcomes. Dr. Holland recognizes a great potential for significant contributions to patient care and the discipline of nursing with this line of research.
Focus areas
- Early screening as an enhancement to the hospital discharge planning care processes
- Exploring the use of health information technology as a possible solution to support continuity of palliative care, while extending and improving the delivery of health care
- Using decision-support tools by nurses in primary care to initiate the advance care planning process
Significance to patient care
The research conducted by Dr. Holland is critical to the advancement of patient-centered nursing care in hospitals and primary care. Dr. Holland is also interested in how the delivery of care impacts patients, families and health care-system outcomes.
Professional highlights
- Member, Mayo Clinic Nursing Research Subcommittee, Mayo Clinic Department of Nursing, 2013-present
- Fellow, Gerontological Society of America, 2000-present
- Member, Midwest Nursing Research Society, 2000-present
- Member, Hospital Discharge Subcommittee, Mayo Clinic, 1999-present