More than 10 years of research and development have resulted in the scales available on this site. The Readiness for Hospital Discharge Scale, Quality of Discharge Teaching Scale, and Post-Discharge Coping Difficulty Scale were developed by Dr. Marianne Weiss to measure nurse-sensitive discharge care processes and patient outcomes.  Three versions of the scales were developed concurrently for different patient populations – Adult medical-surgical patients, Parents of hospitalized children, and Postpartum mothers (see Weiss & Piacentine, 2006, Weiss et al., 2007, and Bobay et al., 2018 for description of the development and initial testing).

 

PERMISSION TO USE

The Readiness for Discharge Scale, Quality of Discharge Teaching Scale, and Post-Discharge Coping Difficulty Scale are available, and permission is granted to use the scales obtained from this website under the following conditions:

1. The scales may not be modified or adapted.
2. The scales may be used for research or for clinical practice.
3. Permission is required from Dr. Weiss to load the scale(s) into the electronic health record and for hospital wide use of the scales.
4. The scales may not be used or incorporated into for-profit/commercial programs.
5. In publications reporting use of the scales, please reference Dr Weiss as the author of the scale and the translator (for non-English Scales) if noted on the scale form. The scales may not be published in manuscripts – only the results of use can be published. You may cite this website as the source of the scales.
6. On publication of results, please send Dr Weiss a copy of the published paper.

No further permission is needed if you are using the scales under the above conditions. As a courtesy, please notify the translator listed on the website.

You must contact Dr Weiss directly ( Marianne.weiss@marquette.edu) for use in electronic health record system, hospital or system-wide use or for other purposes not listed above.

ACCESSING THE HOSPITAL DISCHARGE SCALES

By clicking the links below, you can access information on the following scales:

• Readiness for Hospital Discharge Scale (RHDS)
• Quality of Discharge Teaching Scale (QDTS)
• Post-Discharge Coping Difficulty Scale

REQUESTS TO TRANSLATE

Permission to translate any of the Readiness for Hospital Discharge Scales, Quality of Discharge Teaching Scales, and Post-Discharge Coping Difficulty Scales is required.  Contact Dr Weiss regarding translations at marianne.weiss@marquette.edu. Currently approved translations are listed on each scale's webpage.

Only 1 translation is permitted per language/country. (Note that some translations are in process and request for duplicate translations will not be approved).

To request permission to translate, send a detailed translation plan including the following:

1. Describe and cite references to the translation methodology you will use.
2. Who will translate? Provide name and credentials
3. Who will back translate? Provide name and credentials
4. How will you assess patient understanding of the translated scale?
5. How will you assess cultural validity of the scale?

Dr. Weiss must approve the back translation of the scale.

In published reports, Dr. Weiss should be cited as the author of the scale(s), and the researcher translating the scale should also be cited.  Publications citing the translated scales should be send to Dr Weiss.

Researchers who receive permission to translate the scales must provide, in writing, permission to include the translation (with acknowledgment of the translation/translating researcher) on Marquette University Hospital Discharge Scales website is required.

 

HOSPITAL DISCHARGE SCALES CONTACT INFORMATION

Marianne Weiss, D.N.Sc, RN

Professor Emerita, Marquette University College of Nursing, Milwaukee, WI

Email marianne.weiss@marquette.edu

Cell Phone: 847-514-2798

 For a list of our research team’s publications, click this link.