Criteria-Led Discharge-Patient Safety and Satisfaction, Length of Stay, and Facilitators for Implementation: A Systematic Review Update.

BACKGROUND

Delayed patient discharge affects patient safety, care quality, and hospital flow. Criteria-led discharge (CLD) enables appropriately trained health care professionals to discharge selected patients against predefined clinical criteria, potentially improving timeliness.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this updated systematic review was to assess outcomes including CLD safety, patient satisfaction, length of stay (LOS), and implementation factors.

METHODS

A systematic review was conducted. CINAHL and Medline were searched from 2018 to 2025.

RESULTS

Thirteen studies spanning adult and pediatric settings were included. CLD was consistently safe when supported by clear criteria, protocols, and safety-netting; readmission findings were mixed. Most studies reported reduced LOS, earlier discharge, and improved flow. Evidence on patient satisfaction was limited. Key facilitators included staff training, organizational support, and integration of CLD into routine processes.

CONCLUSION

CLD is a safe intervention that improves discharge efficiency and LOS with growing applicability across nonelective pathways and potential scalability.