Funding cuts affect health of patients, staff CMAJ 1997;156:1691 Fiscal restraint and funding cuts at hospitals endanger not only the health of seniors but also the health of nurses and other professionals, a study of patient-discharge planning has found. The University of Toronto's Research Highlights recently reported that massive hospital restructuring puts intense pressure on health practitioners to discharge patients quickly, putting caregivers in a "highly stressful ethical conflict between their loyalty to the hospital and their loyalty to the patients." Furthermore, researchers said, it is very difficult to predict how long it will take a senior citizen to recuperate and whether their families are equipped to provide their care once they are discharged. The study recommends that patients be at the centre of the discharge-planning process and that their concerns be heard. Send a letter to the editor responding to this article Envoyez une lettre à la rédaction au sujet de cet article | CMAJ June 15, 1997 (vol 156, no 12) / JAMC le 15 juin 1997 (vol 156, no 12) |