Panorama das publicações científicas sobre alta ambulatorial: uma análise bibliométrica

Abstract

Introduction: Given that care has become more specialized, it is evident that patients undergo numerous care transitions from hospitalization to outpatient or ambulatory discharge. Despite the relevance of this theme to strengthening safe practices and improving the quality of healthcare, it remains underexplored in scientific literature. Objective: To assess the panorama of scientific publications related to outpatient discharge. Methodology: This is a bibliometric review of quantitative literature with a descriptive nature, prepared according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Bibliometric Analysis (PRIBA) checklist. To ensure comprehensiveness and relevance, the selected database was the Web of Science. Inclusion criteria considered articles available in full text, in any language and/or time period, directly or indirectly addressing outpatient discharge, the central theme of the research. Articles were imported into Rayyan software. Data was extracted and organized in an Excel spreadsheet (Microsoft 2019 version). Results: A total of 7,217 articles on the theme were identified, with 23 articles remaining in the sample after applying eligibility criteria. Most studies were published within the last five years (34.7%). Regarding the country of publication, the USA and England predominated in the sample, each accounting for 30.4%. The predominant study type was qualitative (21.7%). Medicine was the field with the highest number of published studies in the sample (56.5%). The studies primarily addressed evidence mapping regarding discharge, analysis of determining factors in this process, comparisons of efficacy, safety, and barriers to discharge, perspectives of professionals and patients on this process, evaluations of discharge incidence, and recommendations for decision-making in this care transition. Conclusion: It is concluded that most scientific productions on outpatient discharge were published between 2017 and 2022, mainly in North America, with a predominant focus on the medical field. The scenario indicates that these productions have started to gain momentum in recent years, but the field remains incipient, considering the potentialities that can be explored through additional studies to broaden and diversify investigations in this research area.