The Use of Single-Group Sessions in Discharge Planning

Abstract

In recent years we are witnessing a growing demand in the health care system for improved economic efficiency and reduction in length of hospital stay. These facts have increased the pressure for planning effective short-term therapeutic methods that will assist the patient's return to family and community life. This situation led the social workers in the internal medicine units to initiate one-session group meetings for patients and families that would provide a response to the distress of primary caregivers and increase access to social work intervention of families with discharge needs. A model of single-sessions intervention, which had been experienced for the first time in the Sheba Medical Center at Tel-Hashomer, will be presented and evaluated. The presented intervention enabled to reduce anxiety and increase the capabilities of family members to organize and cope with the situation. The intervention also enabled to identify families in need, to emphasize more on the discharge planning as part of the social work function in the hospital setting and help the multi-disciplinary team in the discharge process.

A Toolkit for Single-Session Groups in Acute Care Settings

“…The literature suggests a number of logistical factors to consider when planning a new group on a hospital unit (Aronwitz et al, 1983;Berger, 1985;Block, 1985;Feigin et al, 1998;Hamlet & Read, 1990;Holmes-Garret, 1990;Kossof, 2003;Shannon & Read, 1990). All of the single-session groups that were described employed two facilitators.…”

“…This may be done through a short survey randomly distributed to patients/families by social workers on the unit (Feigin et al, 1998), speaking to hospital staff (Feigin et al, 1998;Holmes-Garret, 1990;Kosoff 2003), and reviewing applicable literature (Kosoff, 2003). The group leaders must negotiate with Social Work Management and relevant unit supervisors for approval to run a group (Feigin et al, 1998;Hamlet & Read, 1990). A suitable space to run the group must be identified (Feigin et al, 1998).…”

“…The group leaders must negotiate with Social Work Management and relevant unit supervisors for approval to run a group (Feigin et al, 1998;Hamlet & Read, 1990). A suitable space to run the group must be identified (Feigin et al, 1998). Staff and physician buy-in is a crucial element of running a single-session group (Arnowitz et al, 1983;Berger, 1985).…”

“…Weisberg (1987) stated that "Although some Toolkit for Single-Session Groups in Acute Care Settings 711 people attend more than one single-session group, there is unlikely to be a continuity of the group experience among members." Single-session groups in hospitals are modeled using the principles of mutual aid (Steinberg, 2004) and crisis intervention (Berger, 1985;Block, 1985;Feigin, Cohen, & Gilad, 1998;Robinovitch & Ransohoff, 1981). They have been used to serve various populations in hospital settings.…”

“…Traditional multisession groups are often impractical as lengths of stay have decreased (Berger, 1985). People in crisis respond best to brief, focused interventions that offer education and support (Feigin et al, 1998). They are an effective method for fostering problem solving skills in patients and caregivers (Feigin et al, 1998).…”