4. What’s the difference between discharge and discontinuation?

As far as the Board’s rules are concerned, there is no difference.  The purpose of the summary is to record all of the pertinent information at the time treatment ends – regardless of whether the patient met goals, quit coming to therapy, or transitioned to another setting.  In some settings, such as the ECI or school setting, “discontinuation” is a more appropriate term than “discharge” because of the nature of the intervention provided in those settings.  The term “discontinuation” is often used  to indicate that the Plan of Care was not completed, goals not met, or that the patient quit coming for treatment without notice – but the “Discharge Summary” is the document used whether the patient was discharged or treatment was discontinued for any reason.