One Chance to Get it Right: Exploring Perspectives and Experiences in Care Home Discharge Decision-Making in the Acute Hospital.

The study used a small purposive sample of six complete datasets and 30 participants, and did not claim saturation. Participants had to be assessed as having capacity to consent, so the experiences of people with altered capacity, who may be more vulnerable in discharge decisions, were not included. Only family members were included as significant people, so views of friends or other carers were not represented. Interviews were not done with all people involved in each older person's care, and some older people did not remember conversations, so the findings may not capture the whole decision process. The study took place in two Scottish acute hospitals between June 2017 and May 2018, so transferability to other settings or current pressures is uncertain. No member checking was done, so participants did not review the transcripts or interpretations.

The authors declare no conflicts of interest. The study was funded by Edinburgh and Lothians Health Foundation.

Do not conclude that care home discharge decisions in this study were unhurried or fully communicated. Professionals acknowledged discharge pressures, some older people did not remember key conversations, and chosen care home availability was not always transparent.