Kolja Heckes, Ismail Özlü and Christian Heerdt, Scientific Director of the Board of Trustees of Deutsche Altershilfe, have published a new book on discharge management. Under the title “In the field of tension between location in the hospital and effect on the outside world – discharge management as an intersectoral and social space-oriented format” (Springer VS, 2026), the authors shed light on the challenges of patient discharge and propose a stronger link with the social space.

After a stay in hospital, many patients and their relatives are confronted with a fragmented care landscape. The authors criticize reproductive reductionisms in impact assessment, existing sectorizations and partial logics, as well as current health policy developments. You will analyze discharge management from the perspective of epistemology, system, power and network theory.

The book leads to the proposal to link discharge management more closely with a socio-spatially integrated care architecture. The authors call for discharge processes to be regarded not only as an internal hospital task, but as an interface to holistic, cross-sectoral care in the living environment of those affected.

The work is divided into three main areas:

• Study situation, quality processes and transdisciplinary perspectives
• Historical genesis and system-theoretical perspectives
• Health System Developments and Practical-Conceptual Perspectives

The authors argue for greater interprofessionalism and the establishment of integrating social space agencies in order to anchor discharge management more effectively in the outpatient and social sectors.

The publication is aimed at professionals from medicine, nursing, social work and health policy. It offers impulses for future-oriented, patient-centered and cross-sectoral care. The book is available under DOI 10.1007/978-3-658-50656-8.

Original Paper:

In the field of tension between location in the hospital and effect on the outside: discharge management as an intersectoral and social space-oriented format | Springer Nature Link

Read Also:

Hospital reform threatens cancer patients – MedLabPortal

Editor: X-Press Journalistenbüro GbR

Gender Notice. The personal designations used in this text always refer equally to female, male and diverse persons. Double/triple naming and gendered designations are used for better readability ected.