Creating Discharge Plans for Rural Patients

Course Summary

Although there is a similar prevalence of behavioral health disorders in rural and urban areas, the obstacles to getting help are very different. This course explores why creating unrealistic discharge plans can result in rural patients being sent home with resources and services that are inaccessible or unavailable, increasing the risk of hospital readmission and worsening health outcomes.

Additionally, you will examine how unrealistic discharge plans can place additional strain on already overburdened and under-resourced rural providers, who may be forced to scramble for alternative resources or services for care they are not fully equipped to provide (Morales, 2020).

Upon conclusion, you will be better prepared to increase the feasibility of discharge plans for rural patients and improve your communication with rural healthcare providers; ultimately leading to improved transition of care and care coordination for individuals living in rural areas with behavioral health needs.

Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to:

1. Create discharge plans that reflect solutions to rural-specific barriers.
   1. Identify barriers to behavioral health care in rural areas.
   2. Describe solutions to barriers to behavioral health care in rural areas.
2. Communicate rural-specific resources and services with rural healthcare providers.
   1. Summarize care coordination considerations for rural areas.
   2. Identify resources for providers in rural areas.
   3. Identify services for patients in rural areas.

Learning Audience

This course is for behavioral health, psychiatric, and medical providers in metropolitan areas who discharge patients to rural or frontier regions of Colorado.

Continuing Education Credits

This course is eligible for Continued Education Units (CEU) upon completion, which are awarded as follows: 

• 1 CE credit awarded per (1) hour of completed learning

The University of Colorado is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The University of Colorado maintains responsibility for this program and its content. 

Questions about CEU credits? 

• Send email

• CE Program Complaint Form

Course Duration

• 60 minutes

Content Contributors

• Thida Thant, MD, Associate Professor of Psychiatry, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry