Estimated Date of Discharge (EDD)

The Estimated Date of Discharge (EDD) is the date when a patient is anticipated to be discharged from the current facility, based on clinical judgement of the care team. 

The EDD for inpatients is a critical component of discharge planning.

• An EDD enhances communication between care teams and their patients/families/essential care partners (ECPs) by clarifying expectations and creating a forum for collaborative discussions for a common goal of discharge. 

• By establishing a plan for discharge that includes an EDD, it allows for better collaboration with teams like Patient Flow, Allied Health, and Diagnostic/Labs. This coordination ensures that all aspects of patient care are aligned, and any potential barriers to discharge are promptly addressed, all while working towards a common goal for the patient.
• Discharge planning begins on admission and helps to ensure patients transition safely and efficiently from the hospital to their next care setting. 
• Effective discharge planning improves patient outcomes, reduces the risk of readmission, and enhances the overall patient and family experience.

Having an EDD empowers frontline staff, patients, families and the care team in several ways:

• It provides a clear goal for discharge among patients, families and care teams, ensuring everyone works toward a unified goal.
• Talking about the EDD provides a forum for understanding patient/family concerns and barriers to meeting the discharge goal. These conversations enable teams to collaborate from the point of admission, proactively identifying and addressing potential barriers. This approach helps minimize unnecessary delays, supports timely discharge planning, and ensures that any required escalations are promptly recognized.
• Recording the patient’s EDD on their patient communication board keeps this information readily available for patients, families, and the care team to assist with planning for post-discharge care. Knowing the EDD helps patients/families/ECPs and their supports plan better for post-discharge care and logistics, such as transportation, medications, groceries, and home care arrangements. This transparency and predictability can significantly enhance their overall satisfaction with their hospital experience.
• Knowing which patients are nearing their EDD allows team members to prioritize their tasks. Physicians can focus on patients needing discharge orders, while allied health team members can prioritize their visits accordingly. Inpatient units can also use this information to help with the process of identifying patients most appropriate for nontraditional care spaces (NTCS).

Every patient deserves a plan!