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Yahalom S, Manias E. Nurses engaging with referral letters and discharge summaries: A qualitative study. J Clin Nurs 2024; 33:2309-2323. [PMID: 38304996 DOI: 10.1111/jocn.17054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Revised: 12/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
AIMS To investigate the ways that nurses engage with referral letters and discharge summaries, and the qualities of these documents they find valuable for safe and effective practice. DESIGN This study comprised a qualitative, case-study design within a constructivist paradigm using convenience sampling. METHODS Interviews were conducted with nurses to investigate their practices relating to referral letters and discharge summaries. Data collection also involved nurses' examination and evaluation of a diverse range of 10 referral letters and discharge summaries from medical records at two Australian hospitals through focus-group sessions. The data were transcribed and analysed inductively. RESULTS In all, 67 nurses participated in interviews or focus groups. Nurses indicated they used referral letters and discharge summaries to inform their work when caring for patients at different times throughout their hospitalisation. These documents assisted them with verbal handovers, to enable them to educate patients about their condition and treatment and to provide a high standard of care. The qualities of referral letters and discharge summaries that they most valued were language and communication, an awareness of audience and clinical knowledge, as well as balancing conciseness with comprehensiveness of information. CONCLUSION Nurses relied on referral letters and discharge summaries to ensure safe and effective patient care. They used these documents to enhance their verbal handovers, contribute to patient care and to educate the patient about their condition and treatment. They identified several qualities of these documents that assisted them in maintaining patient safety including clarity and conciseness of information. IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PROFESSION AND PATIENT CARE It is important that referral letters and discharge summaries are written clearly, concisely and comprehensively because nurses use them as key sources of evidence in planning and delivering care, and in communicating with other health professionals in relaying goals of care and implementing treatment plans. IMPACT Nurses reported that they regularly used referral letters and discharge summaries as valuable sources of evidence throughout their patients' hospitalisation. The qualities of these documents which they most valued were language and communication styles, awareness of audience and clinical knowledge, as well as balancing conciseness with comprehensiveness of information. This research has important impact on the patient experience in relation to encouraging effective referral letter and discharge summary writing. REPORTING METHOD We have adhered to the relevant EQUATOR guidelines through the SRQR reporting method. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION No patient or public contribution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharon Yahalom
- Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Student Academic Support Unit, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Faculty of Arts, School of Languages and Linguistics, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Elizabeth Manias
- Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, Department of Medicine, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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Khider YIA, Allam SME, Zoromba MA, Elhapashy HMM. Nursing students' perspectives on patients' safety competencies: a cross-sectional survey. BMC Nurs 2024; 23:323. [PMID: 38735958 PMCID: PMC11089785 DOI: 10.1186/s12912-024-01966-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Nurses constitute the largest body of healthcare professionals globally, positioning them at the forefront of enhancing patient safety. Despite their crucial role, there is a notable gap in the literature regarding the comprehension and competency of nursing students in patient safety within Egypt. This gap underscores the urgent need for research to explore how nursing students perceive patient safety and the extent to which these competencies are integrated into their clinical and educational experiences. Understanding these perspectives is essential for developing targeted interventions that can significantly improve patient safety outcomes. The objective of this study was to fill this gap by assessing the perspectives of nursing intern students on patient safety competencies, thereby contributing to the global efforts in enhancing patient safety education and practice. METHODS In this research, a cross-sectional study design was employed to investigate the topic at hand. A purposive sample of 266 nursing intern students was enrolled from the Faculty of Nursing at Mansoura University. The data were collected using a patient safety survey. Subsequently, the collected data underwent analysis through the application of descriptive and inferential statistical techniques using SPSS-20 software. RESULTS Among the studied intern nursing students, we found that 55.3% and 59.4% of the involved students agreed that they could understand the concept of patient safety and the burden of medical errors. Regarding clinical safety issues, 51.1% and 54.9% of the participating students agreed that they felt confident in what they had learned about identifying patients correctly and avoiding surgical errors, respectively. Concerning error reporting issues, 40.2% and 37.2% of the involved students agreed that they were aware of error reports and enumerated the barriers to incident reporting, respectively. There was a statistically significant difference between the nursing student patient safety overview domain and their age (p = 0.025). CONCLUSIONS Our study's compelling data demonstrated that intern students who took part in the patient safety survey scored higher overall in all patient safety-related categories. However, problems with error reporting showed the lowest percentage. The intern students would benefit from additional educational and training workshops to increase their perspectives on patients' safety competencies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Mohamed A Zoromba
- College of Nursing, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj, Saudi Arabia
- Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing Department, Faculty of Nursing, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
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Strumann C, Pfau L, Wahle L, Schreiber R, Steinhäuser J. Designing and Implementation of a Digitalized Intersectoral Discharge Management System and Its Effect on Readmissions: Mixed Methods Approach. J Med Internet Res 2024; 26:e47133. [PMID: 38530343 PMCID: PMC11005442 DOI: 10.2196/47133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Revised: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Digital transformation offers new opportunities to improve the exchange of information between different health care providers, including inpatient, outpatient and care facilities. As information is especially at risk of being lost when a patient is discharged from a hospital, digital transformation offers great opportunities to improve intersectoral discharge management. However, most strategies for improvement have focused on structures within the hospital. OBJECTIVE This study aims to evaluate the implementation of a digitalized discharge management system, the project "Optimizing instersectoral discharge management" (SEKMA, derived from the German Sektorübergreifende Optimierung des Entlassmanagements), and its impact on the readmission rate. METHODS A mixed methods design was used to evaluate the implementation of a digitalized discharge management system and its impact on the readmission rate. After the implementation, the congruence between the planned (logic model) and the actual intervention was evaluated using a fidelity analysis. Finally, bivariate and multivariate analyses were used to evaluate the effectiveness of the implementation on the readmission rate. For this purpose, a difference-in-difference approach was adopted based on routine data of hospital admissions between April 2019 and August 2019 and between April 2022 and August 2022. The department of vascular surgery served as the intervention group, in which the optimized discharge management was implemented in April 2022. The departments of internal medicine and cardiology formed the control group. RESULTS Overall, 26 interviews were conducted, and we explored 21 determinants, which can be categorized into 3 groups: "optimization potential," "barriers," and "enablers." On the basis of these results, 19 strategies were developed to address the determinants, including a lack of networking among health care providers, digital information transmission, and user-unfriendliness. On the basis of these strategies, which were prioritized by 11 hospital physicians, a logic model was formulated. Of the 19 strategies, 7 (37%; eg, electronic discharge letter, providing mobile devices to the hospital's social service, and generating individual medication plans in the format of the national medication plan) have been implemented in SEKMA. A survey on the fidelity of the application of the implemented strategies showed that 3 of these strategies were not yet widely applied. No significant effect of SEKMA on readmissions was observed in the routine data of 14,854 hospital admissions (P=.20). CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrates the potential of optimizing intersectoral collaboration for patient care. Although a significant effect of SEKMA on readmissions has not yet been observed, creating a digital ecosystem that connects different health care providers seems to be a promising approach to ensure secure and fast networking of the sectors. The described intersectoral optimization of discharge management provides a structured template for the implementation of a similar local digital care networking infrastructure in other care regions in Germany and other countries with a similarly fragmented health care system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christoph Strumann
- Institute of Family Medicine, University Medical Centre Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Lisa Pfau
- Institute of Family Medicine, University Medical Centre Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Laila Wahle
- Lacanja GmbH Health Innovation Port, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Raphael Schreiber
- Institute of Family Medicine, University Medical Centre Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Jost Steinhäuser
- Institute of Family Medicine, University Medical Centre Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
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Brooman-White R, Blakeman T, McNab D, Deaton C. Informing understanding of coordination of care for patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction: a secondary qualitative analysis. BMJ Qual Saf 2024; 33:232-245. [PMID: 37802647 DOI: 10.1136/bmjqs-2023-016583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) are a complex and underserved group. They are commonly older patients with multiple comorbidities, who rely on multiple healthcare services. Regional variation in services and resourcing has been highlighted as a problem in heart failure care, with few teams bridging the interface between the community and secondary care. These reports conflict with policy goals to improve coordination of care and dissolve boundaries between specialist services and the community. AIM To explore how care is coordinated for patients with HFpEF, with a focus on the interface between primary care and specialist services in England. METHODS We applied systems thinking methodology to examine the relationship between work-as-imagined and work-as-done for coordination of care for patients with HFpEF. We analysed clinical guidelines in conjunction with a secondary applied thematic analysis of semistructured interviews with healthcare professionals caring for patients with HFpEF including general practitioners, specialist nurses and cardiologists and patients with HFpEF themselves (n=41). Systems Thinking for Everyday Work principles provided a sensitising theoretical framework to facilitate a deeper understanding of how these data illustrate a complex health system and where opportunities for improvement interventions may lie. RESULTS Three themes (working with complexity, information transfer and working relationships) were identified to explain variability between work-as-imagined and work-as-done. Participants raised educational needs, challenging work conditions, issues with information transfer systems and organisational structures poorly aligned with patient needs. CONCLUSIONS There are multiple challenges that affect coordination of care for patients with HFpEF. Findings from this study illuminate the complexity in coordination of care practices and have implications for future interventional work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosalie Brooman-White
- Primary Care Unit, Department of Public Health & Primary Care, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Thomas Blakeman
- Centre for Primary Care, University of Manchester Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences, Manchester, UK
| | - Duncan McNab
- Medical Directorate, NHS Education for Scotland, Glasgow, UK
| | - Christi Deaton
- Primary Care Unit, Department of Public Health & Primary Care, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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Javanparast S, Roeger L, Reed RL. General practice staff and patient experiences of a multicomponent intervention for people at high risk of poor health outcomes: a qualitative study. BMC PRIMARY CARE 2024; 25:18. [PMID: 38191349 PMCID: PMC10775450 DOI: 10.1186/s12875-023-02256-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND This study reports the experiences of general practice staff and patients at high risk of poor health outcomes who took part in a clustered randomised controlled trial of a multicomponent general practice intervention. The intervention comprised patient enrolment to a preferred General Practitioner (GP) to promote continuity of care, access to longer GP appointments, and timely general practice follow-up after hospital care episodes. The aims of the study were to better understand participant's (practice staff and patients) perspectives of the intervention, their views on whether the intervention had improved general practice services, reduced hospital admissions and finally whether they believed the intervention would be sustainable after the trial had completed. METHODS A qualitative study design with semi-structured interviews was employed. The practice staff sample was drawn from both the control and intervention groups. The patient sample was drawn from those who had expressed an interest in taking part in an interview during the trial and who had also experienced a recent hospital care episode. RESULTS Interviews were conducted with 41 practice staff and 45 patients. Practice staff and patients expressed support for the value of appointments with a regular GP and having sufficient time in appointments for the provision of comprehensive care. There were mixed views with respect to the extent to which the intervention had improved services. The positive changes reported were related to services being provided in a more proactive, thorough, and systematic manner with a greater emphasis on team based care involving the Practice Nurse. Patients nominated after hours care and financial considerations as the key reasons for seeking hospital care. Practice staff noted that the intervention would be difficult to sustain financially in the absence of additional funding. CONCLUSIONS The multicomponent intervention was supported by practice staff and patients and some patients perceived that it had led to improvements in care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Javanparast
- College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Leigh Roeger
- College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Richard L Reed
- College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia.
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De P, Pradhan MR. Effectiveness of mobile technology and utilization of maternal and neonatal healthcare in low and middle-income countries (LMICs): a systematic review. BMC Womens Health 2023; 23:664. [PMID: 38082424 PMCID: PMC10714653 DOI: 10.1186/s12905-023-02825-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Maternal and neonatal mortality are important indicators of the development of a nation and pose a severe health concern, especially in developing and Low and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs). Healthcare providers use various mobile technologies as tools to provide antenatal, delivery, and postnatal care and thereby promote maternal and child health. We conducted a systematic review to critically assess the existing literature on the effectiveness of mobile phone technology in maternal and neonatal healthcare (MNH) utilization, especially in LMICs in Asia and Africa. METHODS A systematic search strategy was developed, and Boolean combinations of relevant keywords were utilized to search relevant literature on three electronic databases (PubMed/Medline, Scopus, and Google Scholar) from 2012 to 2022. After assessing the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 25 articles were selected for systematic review. A narrative synthesis strategy was applied to summarise the information from the included literature. RESULTS This review reveals that research and evaluation studies on mobile phone or Mobile Health (mHealth) and MNH service utilization substantially varied by research designs and methodology. Most studies found that mobile phone technology is highly appreciable in improving several MNH indicators, especially in LMICs. Despite the identified benefits of mobile technology in MNH utilization, some studies also mentioned challenges related to technology use and misuse, rich-poor discrimination, and disparity in phone ownership need to be addressed. CONCLUSION There is constantly increasing evidence of mobile counseling and the use of digital technology in the MNH care system. Public health practitioners and policymakers need to make efforts to smooth the functioning of technology-based healthcare services, considering all the issues related to the confidentiality and safety of health-related data on the Internet.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prasenjit De
- Department of Fertility and Social Demography, International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS), Govandi Station Road, Deonar, Mumbai, 400088, Maharashtra, India.
| | - Manas Ranjan Pradhan
- Department of Fertility and Social Demography, International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS), Govandi Station Road, Deonar, Mumbai, 400088, Maharashtra, India
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Cam H, Wennlöf B, Gillespie U, Franzon K, Nielsen EI, Ling M, Lindner KJ, Kempen TGH, Kälvemark Sporrong S. The complexities of communication at hospital discharge of older patients: a qualitative study of healthcare professionals' views. BMC Health Serv Res 2023; 23:1211. [PMID: 37932683 PMCID: PMC10626684 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-023-10192-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hospital discharge of older patients is a high-risk situation in terms of patient safety. Due to the fragmentation of the healthcare system, communication and coordination between stakeholders are required at discharge. The aim of this study was to explore communication in general and medication information transfer in particular at hospital discharge of older patients from the perspective of healthcare professionals (HCPs) across different organisations within the healthcare system. METHODS We conducted a qualitative study using focus group and individual or group interviews with HCPs (physicians, nurses and pharmacists) across different healthcare organisations in Sweden. Data were collected from September to October 2021. A semi-structured interview guide including questions on current medication communication practices, possible improvements and feedback on suggestions for alternative processes was used. The data were analysed thematically, guided by the systematic text condensation method. RESULTS In total, four focus group and three semi-structured interviews were conducted with 23 HCPs. Three main themes were identified: 1) Support systems that help and hinder describes the use of support systems in the discharge process to compensate for the fragmentation of the healthcare system and the impact of these systems on HCPs' communication; 2) Communication between two separate worlds depicts the difficulties in communication experienced by HCPs in different healthcare organisations and how they cope with them; and 3) The large number of medically complex patients disrupts the communication reveals how the highly pressurised healthcare system impacts on HCPs' communication at hospital discharge. CONCLUSIONS Communication at hospital discharge is hindered by the fragmented, highly pressurised healthcare system. HCPs are at risk of moral distress when coping with communication difficulties. Improved communication methods at hospital discharge are needed for the benefit of both patients and HCPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henrik Cam
- Hospital Pharmacy Department, Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden.
- Department of Pharmacy, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Björn Wennlöf
- Department of Pharmacy, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Centre for Clinical Research, Uppsala University, Västmanland County Hospital, Västerås, Sweden
- Närvården Viksäng-Irsta, Region Västmanland, Västerås, Sweden
| | - Ulrika Gillespie
- Hospital Pharmacy Department, Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden
- Department of Pharmacy, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Kristin Franzon
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | | | - Mia Ling
- Department of Pharmacy, Region Västmanland, Västerås, Sweden
| | | | - Thomas Gerardus Hendrik Kempen
- Department of Pharmacy, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Sofia Kälvemark Sporrong
- Department of Pharmacy, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Fransson S, Boel JB, Holm A, Kahlhofen N, Hjortlund J, Mosbech HF, Poulsen LK, Reventlow S, Garvey LH. Inconsistencies in penicillin allergy labels in hospital and primary care after allergy investigation. Clin Exp Allergy 2023; 53:969-973. [PMID: 37246612 DOI: 10.1111/cea.14347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2022] [Revised: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Sara Fransson
- Allergy Clinic, Department of Dermatology and Allergy, Copenhagen University Hospital - Herlev and Gentofte, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jonas Bredtoft Boel
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Copenhagen University Hospital - Herlev and Gentofte, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Anne Holm
- Department of Public Health, Section of General Practice and Research Unit for General Practice, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Natasha Kahlhofen
- Allergy Clinic, Department of Dermatology and Allergy, Copenhagen University Hospital - Herlev and Gentofte, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Janni Hjortlund
- Laegerne Hansen, Møller, Pelvig and Hjortlund, Valby, Denmark
| | - Holger F Mosbech
- Allergy Clinic, Department of Dermatology and Allergy, Copenhagen University Hospital - Herlev and Gentofte, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Lars K Poulsen
- Allergy Clinic, Department of Dermatology and Allergy, Copenhagen University Hospital - Herlev and Gentofte, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Susanne Reventlow
- Department of Public Health, Section of General Practice and Research Unit for General Practice, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Lene H Garvey
- Allergy Clinic, Department of Dermatology and Allergy, Copenhagen University Hospital - Herlev and Gentofte, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Biringer E, Helgeland J, Hellesen HB, Aβmus J, Hartveit M. Development and testing of the QDis-MH checklist for discharge letters from specialised mental healthcare: a stakeholder-centred study. BMJ Open Qual 2023; 12:bmjoq-2022-002036. [PMID: 37019467 PMCID: PMC10083855 DOI: 10.1136/bmjoq-2022-002036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 04/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The 'discharge letter' is the mandatory written report sent from specialists in the specialist services to general practitioners (GPs) on patient discharge. Clear recommendations from relevant stakeholders for contents of discharge letters and instruments to measure the quality of discharge letters in mental healthcare are needed. The objectives were to (1) detect which information relevant stakeholders defined as important to include in discharge letters from mental health specialist services, (2) develop a checklist to measure the quality of discharge letters and (3) test the psychometric properties of the checklist. METHODS We used a stepwise multimethod stakeholder-centred approach. Group interviews with GPs, mental health specialists and patient representatives defined 68 information items with 10 consensus-based thematic headings relevant to include in high-quality discharge letters. Information items rated as highly important by GPs (n=50) were included in the Quality of Discharge information-Mental Health (QDis-MH) checklist. The 26-item checklist was tested by GPs (n=18) and experts in healthcare improvement or health services research (n=15). Psychometric properties were assessed using estimates of intrascale consistency and linear mixed effects models. Inter-rater and test-retest reliability were assessed using Gwet's agreement coefficient (Gwet's AC1) and intraclass correlation coefficients. RESULTS The QDis-MH checklist had satisfactory intrascale consistency. Inter-rater reliability was poor to moderate, and test-retest reliability was moderate. In descriptive analyses, mean checklist scores were higher in the category of discharge letters defined as 'good' than in 'medium' or 'poor' letters, but differences did not reach statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS GPs, mental health specialists and patient representatives defined 26 information items relevant to include in discharge letters in mental healthcare. The QDis-MH checklist is valid and feasible. However, when using the checklist, raters should be trained and the number of raters kept to a minimum due to questionable inter-rater reliability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Biringer
- Department of Research and Innovation, Helse Fonna HF, Haugesund/Valen/Stord, Norway
| | | | | | - Jörg Aβmus
- Centre for Clinical Research, Helse Bergen HF, Bergen, Norway
| | - M Hartveit
- Department of Research and Innovation, Helse Fonna HF, Haugesund/Valen/Stord, Norway
- Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
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Tsamakis K, Tsiptsios D, Stubbs B, Ma R, Romano E, Mueller C, Ahmad A, Triantafyllis AS, Tsitsas G, Dragioti E. Summarising data and factors associated with COVID-19 related conspiracy theories in the first year of the pandemic: a systematic review and narrative synthesis. BMC Psychol 2022; 10:244. [PMID: 36320071 PMCID: PMC9623972 DOI: 10.1186/s40359-022-00959-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Conspiracy theories can have particularly harmful effects by negatively shaping health-related behaviours. A significant number of COVID-19 specific conspiracy theories emerged in the immediate aftermath of the pandemic outbreak. The aim of this study was to systematically review the literature on conspiracy theories related to COVID-19 during the first year of the pandemic (2020), to identify their prevalence, their determinants and their public health consequences. A comprehensive literature search was carried out in PubMed and PsycINFO to detect all studies examining any conspiracy theory related to COVID-19 between January 1st 2020, and January 10th 2021. Forty-three studies were included with a total of 61,809 participants. Between 0.4 and 82.7% of participants agreed with at least one conspiracy belief. Certain sociodemographic factors (young age, female gender, being non-white, lower socioeconomic status), psychological aspects (pessimism, blaming others, anger) and other qualities (political conservatism, religiosity, mistrust in science and using social media as source of information) were associated with increased acceptance of conspiracy theories. Conspiracy beliefs led to harmful health-related behaviours and posed a serious public health threat. Large-scale collaborations between governments and healthcare organizations are needed to curb the spread of conspiracy theories and their adverse consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Konstantinos Tsamakis
- grid.13097.3c0000 0001 2322 6764Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), King’s College London, London, UK ,grid.5216.00000 0001 2155 0800Second Department of Psychiatry, Attikon University General Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece ,grid.264200.20000 0000 8546 682XInstitute of Medical and Biomedical Education, St George’s University of London, London, UK
| | - Dimitrios Tsiptsios
- grid.12284.3d0000 0001 2170 8022Neurology Department, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece
| | - Brendon Stubbs
- grid.13097.3c0000 0001 2322 6764Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), King’s College London, London, UK ,grid.37640.360000 0000 9439 0839South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, Denmark Hill, London, UK
| | - Ruimin Ma
- grid.13097.3c0000 0001 2322 6764Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Eugenia Romano
- grid.13097.3c0000 0001 2322 6764Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Christoph Mueller
- grid.13097.3c0000 0001 2322 6764Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), King’s College London, London, UK ,grid.37640.360000 0000 9439 0839South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, Denmark Hill, London, UK
| | - Ayesha Ahmad
- grid.264200.20000 0000 8546 682XInstitute of Medical and Biomedical Education, St George’s University of London, London, UK
| | - Andreas S. Triantafyllis
- grid.414012.20000 0004 0622 6596Department of Cardiology, Asklepeion General Hospital Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - George Tsitsas
- grid.15823.3d0000 0004 0622 2843Counselling Centre, Harokopio University, Athens, Greece
| | - Elena Dragioti
- grid.5640.70000 0001 2162 9922Department of Health, Medicine and Caring Sciences, Pain and Rehabilitation Centre, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
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Baxter R, Murray J, Cockayne S, Baird K, Mandefield L, Mills T, Lawton R, Hewitt C, Richardson G, Sheard L, O'Hara JK. Improving the safety and experience of transitions from hospital to home: a cluster randomised controlled feasibility trial of the 'Your Care Needs You' intervention versus usual care. Pilot Feasibility Stud 2022; 8:222. [PMID: 36183129 PMCID: PMC9525931 DOI: 10.1186/s40814-022-01180-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The ‘Your Care Needs You’ (YCNY) intervention aims to increase the safety and experience of transitions for older people through greater patient involvement during the hospital stay. Methods A cluster randomised controlled feasibility trial was conducted on NHS inpatient wards (clusters) where ≥ 40% of patients were routinely ≥ 75 years. Wards were randomised to YCNY or usual care using an unequal allocation ratio (3:2). We aimed to recruit up to 20 patients per ward. Follow-up included routine data collection and questionnaires at 5-, 30-, and 90-days post-discharge. Eligible patients were ≥ 75 years, discharged home, stayed overnight on participating wards, and could read and understand English. The trial assessed the feasibility of delivering YCNY and the trial methodology through recruitment rates, outcome completion rates, and a qualitative evaluation. The accuracy of using routinely coded data for the primary outcome in the definitive trial was assessed by extracting discharge information for up to ten nonindividual consenting patients per ward. Results Ten wards were randomised (6 intervention, 4 control). One ward withdrew, and two wards were unable to deliver the intervention. Seven-hundred twenty-one patients were successfully screened, and 161 were recruited (95 intervention, 66 control). The patient post-discharge attrition rate was 17.4% (n = 28). Primary outcome data were gathered for 91.9% of participants with 75.2% and 59.0% providing secondary outcome data at 5 and 30 days post-discharge respectively. Item completion within questionnaires was generally high. Post-discharge follow-up was terminated early due to the COVID-19 pandemic affecting 90-day response rates (16.8%). Data from 88 nonindividual consenting patients identified an error rate of 15% when using routinely coded data for the primary outcome. No unexpected serious adverse events were identified. Most patients viewed YCNY favourably. Staff agreed with it in principle, but ward pressures and organisational contexts hampered implementation. There was a need to sustain engagement, provide clarity on roles and responsibilities, and account for fluctuations in patients’ health, capacity, and preferences. Conclusions If implementation challenges can be overcome, YCNY represents a step towards involving older people as partners in their care to improve the safety and experience of their transitions from hospital to home. Trial registration ISRCTN: 51154948. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40814-022-01180-3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth Baxter
- Yorkshire Quality and Safety Research Group, Bradford Institute for Health Research, Bradford, UK. .,School of Psychology, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.
| | - Jenni Murray
- Yorkshire Quality and Safety Research Group, Bradford Institute for Health Research, Bradford, UK
| | | | | | | | - Thomas Mills
- Yorkshire Quality and Safety Research Group, Bradford Institute for Health Research, Bradford, UK
| | - Rebecca Lawton
- Yorkshire Quality and Safety Research Group, Bradford Institute for Health Research, Bradford, UK.,School of Psychology, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | | | | | | | - Jane K O'Hara
- Yorkshire Quality and Safety Research Group, Bradford Institute for Health Research, Bradford, UK.,School of Healthcare, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
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12
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Integrated Management of Type 2 Diabetes and Gestational Diabetes in the Context of Multi-Morbidity in Africa: A Systematic Review. Int J Integr Care 2022; 22:21. [PMID: 36213216 PMCID: PMC9503971 DOI: 10.5334/ijic.5608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
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13
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Li R, Geng J, Liu J, Wang G, Hesketh T. Effectiveness of integrating primary healthcare in aftercare for older patients after discharge from tertiary hospitals-a systematic review and meta-analysis. Age Ageing 2022; 51:6618060. [PMID: 35753767 PMCID: PMC9233979 DOI: 10.1093/ageing/afac151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Quality of aftercare can crucially impact health status of older patients and reduce the extra burden of unplanned healthcare resource utilisation. However, evidence of effectiveness of primary healthcare in supporting aftercare, especially for older patients after discharge are limited. Methods We searched for English articles of randomised controlled trials published between January 2000 and March 2022. All-cause hospital readmission rate and length of hospital stay were pooled using a random-effects model. Subgroup analyses were conducted to identify the relationship between intervention characteristics and the effectiveness on all-cause hospital readmission rate. Results A total of 30 studies with 11,693 older patients were included in the review. Compared with patients in the control group, patients in the intervention group had 32% less risk of hospital readmission within 30 days (RR = 0.68, P < 0.001, 95%CI: 0.56–0.84), and 17% within 6 months (RR = 0.83, P < 0.001, 95%CI: 0.75–0.92). According to the subgroup analysis, continuity of involvement of primary healthcare in aftercare had significant effect with hospital readmission rates (P < 0.001). Economic evaluations from included studies suggested that aftercare intervention was cost-effective due to the reduction in hospital readmission rate and risk of further complications. Conclusion Integrating primary healthcare into aftercare was designed not only to improve the immediate transition that older patients faced but also to provide them with knowledge and skills to manage future health problems. There is a pressing need to introduce interventions at the primary healthcare level to support long-term care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ran Li
- Center of Global Health, School of Public Health, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.,Institute of Global Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Jiawei Geng
- Center of Global Health, School of Public Health, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jibin Liu
- Department of radiotherapy, Affiliated Tumour Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Gaoren Wang
- Institute of oncology, Affiliated Tumour Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Therese Hesketh
- Center of Global Health, School of Public Health, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.,Institute of Global Health, University College London, London, UK
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14
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Exploring the time required by pharmacists to prepare discharge medicine lists: a time-and-motion study. Int J Clin Pharm 2022; 44:1028-1036. [PMID: 35761018 PMCID: PMC9243950 DOI: 10.1007/s11096-022-01436-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND : Discharge medicine lists provide patients, carers and primary care providers a summary of new, changed or ceased medicines when patients discharge from hospital. Hospital pharmacists play an important role in preparing these lists although this process is time consuming. AIM : To measure the time required by hospital pharmacists to complete the various tasks involved in discharge medicine handover. METHOD : Time-and-motion study design was used to (1) determine the time involved for pharmacists to produce discharge medicine lists, (2) explore how pharmacists utilise various software programs to prepare lists, and (3) compare the time involved in discharge medicine handover processes considering confounding factors. An independent observer shadowed 16 pharmacists between 22 February and 12 March 2021 and recorded tasks involved in 50 discharge medicine handovers. Relevant information about each discharge was also collected. RESULTS : Pharmacists observed represented a range of practice experiences and inpatient units. Mean time to complete discharges was 26.2 min (SD 13.6), with over half of this time used to check documentation and prepare discharge medicine lists. A mean of 4.0 min was spent on manually retyping and reconciling medicine lists in different software systems. Medical inpatient unit discharges took 4.6 min longer to prepare compared to surgical ones. None of the 50 discharges involved support from pharmacy assistants; all 50 discharges had changed or ceased medicines. CONCLUSION : There is a need to streamline current discharge processes through optimisation of electronic health software systems and better delegation of technical tasks to trained pharmacy assistants.
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Schwarz CM, Hoffmann M, Smolle C, Eiber M, Stoiser B, Pregartner G, Kamolz LP, Sendlhofer G. Structure, content, unsafe abbreviations, and completeness of discharge summaries: A retrospective analysis in a University Hospital in Austria. J Eval Clin Pract 2021; 27:1243-1251. [PMID: 33421263 PMCID: PMC9290607 DOI: 10.1111/jep.13533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2020] [Revised: 12/02/2020] [Accepted: 12/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVE The discharge summary (DS) is one of the most important instruments to transmit information to the treating general physician (GP). The objective of this study was to analyse important components of DS, structural characteristics as well as medical and general abbreviations. METHOD One hundred randomly selected DS from five different clinics were evaluated by five independent reviewers regarding content, structure, abbreviations and conformity to the Austrian Electronic Health Records (ELGA) using a structured case report form. Abbreviations of all 100 DS were extracted. All items were scored on a 4-point Likert-type scale ranging from "strongly agree" to "strongly disagree" (or "not relevant"). Subsequently, the results were discussed among reviewers to achieve a consensus decision. RESULTS The mandatory fields, reason for admission and diagnosis at discharge were present in 80% and 98% of DS. The last medication was fully scored in 48% and the recommended medication in 94% of 100 DS. There were significant overall differences among clinics for nine mandatory items. In total, 750 unexplained abbreviations were found in 100 DS. CONCLUSIONS In conclusion, DS are often lacking important items. Particularly important are a detailed medication history and recommendations for further medication that should always be listed in each DS. It is thus necessary to design and implement changes that improve the completeness of DS. An important quality improvement can be achieved by avoiding the use of ambiguous abbreviations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Maria Schwarz
- Research Unit for Safety in Health, c/o Division of Plastic, Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Magdalena Hoffmann
- Research Unit for Safety in Health, c/o Division of Plastic, Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.,Executive Department for Quality and Risk Management, University Hospital Graz, Graz, Austria.,Division of Endocrinology and Diabetology, Department of Internal Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Christian Smolle
- Research Unit for Safety in Health, c/o Division of Plastic, Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Michael Eiber
- Research Unit for Safety in Health, c/o Division of Plastic, Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Bianca Stoiser
- Department of Management, Health Management in Tourism, University of Applied Sciences, Bad Gleichenberg, Austria
| | - Gudrun Pregartner
- Institute for Medical Informatics, Statistics und Documentation, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Lars-Peter Kamolz
- Research Unit for Safety in Health, c/o Division of Plastic, Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Gerald Sendlhofer
- Research Unit for Safety in Health, c/o Division of Plastic, Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.,Executive Department for Quality and Risk Management, University Hospital Graz, Graz, Austria
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Cam H, Kempen TGH, Eriksson H, Abdulreda K, Franzon K, Gillespie U. Assessment of requests for medication-related follow-up after hospital discharge, and the relation to unplanned hospital revisits, in older patients: a multicentre retrospective chart review. BMC Geriatr 2021; 21:618. [PMID: 34724895 PMCID: PMC8561898 DOI: 10.1186/s12877-021-02564-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Accepted: 10/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The discharge of older hospitalised patients is critical in terms of patient safety. Inadequate transfer of information about medications to the next healthcare provider is a known problem, but there is a lack of understanding of this problem in settings where shared electronic health records are used. The aims of this study were to evaluate the prevalence of patients for whom hospitals sent adequate requests for medication-related follow-up at discharge, the proportion of patients with unplanned hospital revisits because of inadequate follow-up requests, and the association between medication reviews performed during hospitalisation and adequate or inadequate follow-up requests. METHODS We conducted a retrospective chart review. The study population was randomly selected from a cluster-randomised crossover trial which included patients 65 years or older who had been admitted to three hospitals in Sweden with shared electronic health records between hospital and primary care. Each patient was assessed with respect to the adequacy of the request for follow-up. For patients where the hospitals sent inadequate requests, data about any unplanned hospital revisits were collected, and we assessed whether the inadequate requests had contributed to the revisits. The association between medication reviews and adequate or inadequate requests was analysed with a Chi-square test. RESULTS A total of 699 patients were included. The patients' mean age was 80 years; an average of 10 medications each were prescribed on hospital admission. The hospitals sent an adequate request for 418 (60%) patients. Thirty-eight patients (14%) had a hospital revisit within six months of discharge which was related to an inadequate request. The proportion of adequate or inadequate requests did not differ between patients who had received a medication review during hospitalisation and those who had not (p = 0.83). CONCLUSIONS The prevalence of patients for whom the hospitals sent adequate follow-up requests on discharge was low. More than one in every ten who had an inadequate request revisited hospital within six months of discharge for reasons related to the request. Medication reviews conducted during hospitalisation did not affect the proportion of adequate or inadequate requests sent. A communication gap still exists despite the usage of a shared electronic health record between primary and secondary care levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henrik Cam
- Hospital Pharmacy Department, Uppsala University Hospital, SE-751 85, Uppsala, Sweden. .,Department of Pharmacy, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Thomas Gerardus Hendrik Kempen
- Department of Pharmacy, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.,Academic Primary Health Care Centre, Region Uppsala, Uppsala, Sweden
| | | | | | - Kristin Franzon
- Geriatric Department, Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden.,Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Ulrika Gillespie
- Hospital Pharmacy Department, Uppsala University Hospital, SE-751 85, Uppsala, Sweden.,Department of Pharmacy, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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Sagi D, Spitzer-Shohat S, Schuster M, Daudi L, Rudolf MCJ. Teaching plain language to medical students: improving communication with disadvantaged patients. BMC MEDICAL EDUCATION 2021; 21:407. [PMID: 34320965 PMCID: PMC8320047 DOI: 10.1186/s12909-021-02842-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2021] [Accepted: 07/16/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Low health literacy underpins health inequality and leads to poor adherence to medical care and higher risk of adverse events and rehospitalization. Communication in plain language, therefore, is an essential skill for health professionals to acquire. Most medical education communication skill programs focus on verbal communication, while written communication training is scarce. ETGAR is a student delivered service for vulnerable patients after hospital discharge in which, amongst other duties, students 'translate' the medical discharge letters into plain language and share them with patients at a home visit. This study ascertains how this plain language training impacted on students' written communication skills using a tool designed for purpose. METHODS Students, in pairs, wrote three plain language discharge letters over the course of a year for patients whom they encountered in hospital. The students handed over and shared the letters with the patients during a post-discharge home visit. Structured feedback from course instructors was given for each letter. An assessment tool was developed to evaluate students' ability to tell the hospitalization narrative using plain and clear language. First and last letters were blindly evaluated for the entire cohort (74 letters; 87 students). RESULTS Students scored higher in all assessment categories in the third letters, with significant improvement in overall score 3.5 ± 0.8 vs 4.1 ± 0.6 Z = -3.43, p = 0.001. The assessment tool's reliability was high α = 0.797, it successfully differentiated between plain language categories, and its score was not affected by letter length or patient's medical condition. CONCLUSIONS Plain language discharge letters written for real patients in the context of experience-based learning improved in quality, providing students with skills to work effectively in an environment where poor health literacy is prevalent. ETGAR may serve as a model for learning written communication skills during clinical years, using the assessment tool for formative or summative evaluation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Doron Sagi
- Department of Population Health, Azrieli Faculty of Medicine, Bar-Ilan University, 8 Henrietta Szold, 1311502, Safed, Israel.
- MSR- The Israel Center for Medical Simulation, Ramat-Gan, Israel.
| | - Sivan Spitzer-Shohat
- Department of Population Health, Azrieli Faculty of Medicine, Bar-Ilan University, 8 Henrietta Szold, 1311502, Safed, Israel
- Center for Health and the Social Sciences, University of Chicago, Chicago, USA
| | - Michal Schuster
- Faculty of Humanities, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa
| | - Ligat Daudi
- Department of Population Health, Azrieli Faculty of Medicine, Bar-Ilan University, 8 Henrietta Szold, 1311502, Safed, Israel
| | - Mary Catharine Joy Rudolf
- Department of Population Health, Azrieli Faculty of Medicine, Bar-Ilan University, 8 Henrietta Szold, 1311502, Safed, Israel
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Exploring pharmacist involvement in the discharge medicines reconciliation process and information transfer to primary care: an observational study. Int J Clin Pharm 2021; 44:27-33. [PMID: 34226977 DOI: 10.1007/s11096-021-01300-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2021] [Accepted: 06/17/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Background Medication errors can occur because of incomplete or poorly communicated information at the transition from hospital to community. Following an audit in 2016, a project was undertaken to determine if pharmacists could improve the quality of medication information in discharge summaries by introducing a discharge medication reconciliation process. Pharmacists recorded any changes to the patient's medication in the electronic prescribing system during their inpatient stay and summarised these changes on discharge. Objective To compare medication information in discharge summaries with recognised standards for the clinical structure and content of patient records, and to assess the impact of the pharmacist process on compliance with certain elements of these standards. Setting A 750 bed teaching district general hospital in England. Method A retrospective observational study examining all patient discharge summaries over a 1 week period for compliance to national standards. Main outcome measure The main outcome measures were compliance with standards for medication started, stopped or changed in hospital and any differences between extent of recording this information by doctors and pharmacists. Results Data were collected and analysed for 243 patients, of whom 94 (38.7%) attracted a discharge medicines reconciliation process by a pharmacist. Discharge summaries were compliant with basic standards for changed medication in 42% of patients or 51.4% with the input of a pharmacist. This increase of 9.4% was statistically significant (p = 0.0365). At an enhanced level, pharmacists increased compliance from 39.1 to 46.5%, this did not represent a significant increase (p = 0.0989). Conclusion Pharmacists undertaking a discharge medication reconciliation process significantly improves the quality of discharge summaries.
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Ge J, Davis A, Jain A. A retrospective analysis of discharge summaries from a tertiary care hospital medical oncology unit: To assess compliance with documentation of recommended discharge summary components. Cancer Rep (Hoboken) 2021; 5:e1457. [PMID: 34152093 PMCID: PMC8842693 DOI: 10.1002/cnr2.1457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2021] [Revised: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Discharge summaries are essential for health transition between inpatient hospital teams and outpatient general practices. The patient's outcome is dependent on the quality and timeliness of discharge summaries. Aim A retrospective analysis was carried out to assess the compliance with recommended documentation of 697 electronic discharge summaries (eDSs) of oncology inpatients discharged in 2018 from the Canberra Hospital according to the National Guidelines of On‐Screen Presentation of Discharge Summaries. Methods and results Individual medical records were identified and screened for the recommended eDS components according to the National Guidelines. Out of the 17 recommended components, nine components were included in all discharge summaries, two components in more than 99% and two components in 95–96% of discharge summaries. The most frequently omitted components include “information provided to the patient,” “ceased medicine” and “procedures,” and these were omitted in 8, 38 and 82% of discharge summaries, respectively. Conclusion Overall, most discharge summaries adhered to the national guidelines quite well by including most of the recommended components. However, the discharge summary quality is still inadequate in some domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingwei Ge
- ANU Medical School, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
| | - Alison Davis
- ANU Medical School, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia.,Department of Medical Oncology, the Canberra Hospital, Garran, Australia
| | - Ankit Jain
- ANU Medical School, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia.,Department of Medical Oncology, the Canberra Hospital, Garran, Australia
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Hospital initiation of benzodiazepines and Z-drugs in older adults and discontinuation in primary care. Res Social Adm Pharm 2021; 18:2670-2674. [PMID: 34127403 DOI: 10.1016/j.sapharm.2021.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Revised: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To examine factors associated with continuation of hospital-initiated benzodiazepine receptor agonists (BZRAs) among adults aged ≥65 years, specifically instructions on hospital discharge summaries. METHODS This retrospective cohort study involved anonymised electronic record data on prescribing and hospitalisations for 38,229 patients aged ≥65 from forty-four GP practices in Ireland 2011-2016. BZRA initiations were identified among patients with no BZRA prescription in the previous 12 months. Multivariate regression examined whether instructions on discharge messages for hospital-initiated BZRA prescriptions was associated with continuation after discharge in primary care and time to discontinuation. RESULTS In total, 418 hospital-initiated BZRAs were identified, 48.8% being to males and mean patient age was 79.0 (SD 8.3) years. Almost 60% of these discharge summarieshad some BZRA instructions (e.g. duration). Approximately 40% (n = 166) were continued in primary care. Lower age, being prescribed a Z-drug or great number of medicines were associated with higher risk of continuation. Of those continued in primary care, in 98 cases (59.6%) the BZRA was discontinued during follow-up (after a mean 184 days). Presence of instructions was associated with higher likelihood of discontinuation (hazard ratio 1.71, 95%CI 1.11-2.62). CONCLUSIONS Improved communication to GPs after hospital discharge may be important in avoiding long-term BZRA use.
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Design and preliminary evaluation of a newly designed patient-friendly discharge letter - a randomized, controlled participant-blind trial. BMC Health Serv Res 2021; 21:450. [PMID: 33975590 PMCID: PMC8114527 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-021-06468-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2020] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Low health literacy has been associated with poor health outcome and impaired use of healthcare services. The hospital discharge letter represents a key source of medical information for patients and can be used to address the problem of low health literacy. The aim of this project was to develop and evaluate a new, patient-directed, version of the discharge letter. METHODS Based upon two conventional discharge letters (CDL; one surgical and one medical letter), two new, patient-friendly discharge letters (PFDL) were designed following 5 key principles: short sentences, few abbreviations, large font size, avoidance of technical terms and no more than 4 pages length. Medical undergraduates were randomized into two blinded groups (CDL, PFDL) and asked to assess the assigned letter for the 3 domains structure, content and patient-friendliness. Subsections were rated on a 6-point Likert scale (1 = completely agree, 6 = completely disagree), the results of the survey were compared using the Mann-Whitney-U-Test with a p < 0.05 being the level of significance. RESULTS In total, 74 undergraduates participated in this study. PFDL (35 participants) were rated significantly better than CDL (39 participants) regarding structure (median 1 vs. 2, p = 0.005), content (1 vs. 3, p < 0.001) and patient-friendliness (2 vs. 6, p < 0.001). Of all 17 subsections, PFDL were rated significantly better in 12 cases, and never worse than CDL. CONCLUSIONS PFDL were rated significantly better than their CDL counterparts. Medical undergraduates were considered the ideal cohort, not being medical lays and yet unbiased regarding everyday clinical practice procedures. Further tests evaluating the impact of the PFDL on patient comprehension and health literacy are necessary.
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Weetman K, Spencer R, Dale J, Scott E, Schnurr S. What makes a "successful" or "unsuccessful" discharge letter? Hospital clinician and General Practitioner assessments of the quality of discharge letters. BMC Health Serv Res 2021; 21:349. [PMID: 33858383 PMCID: PMC8048210 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-021-06345-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2020] [Accepted: 04/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sharing information about hospital care with primary care in the form of a discharge summary is essential to patient safety. In the United Kingdom, although discharge summary targets on timeliness have been achieved, the quality of discharge summaries' content remains variable. METHODS Mixed methods study in West Midlands, England with three parts: 1. General Practitioners (GPs) sampling discharge summaries they assessed to be "successful" or "unsuccessful" exemplars, 2. GPs commenting on the reasons for their letter assessment, and 3. surveying the hospital clinicians who wrote the sampled letters for their views. Letters were examined using content analysis; we coded 15 features (e.g. "diagnosis", "GP plan") based on relevant guidelines and standards. Free text comments were analysed using corpus linguistics, and survey data were analysed using descriptive statistics. RESULTS Fifty-three GPs participated in selecting discharge letters; 46 clinicians responded to the hospital survey. There were statistically significant differences between "successful" and "unsuccessful" inpatient letters (n = 375) in relation to inclusion of the following elements: reason for admission (99.1% vs 86.5%); diagnosis (97.4% vs 74.5%), medication changes (61.5% vs 48.9%); reasons for medication changes (32.1% vs 18.4%); hospital plan/actions (70.5% vs 50.4%); GP plan (69.7% vs 53.2%); information to patient (38.5% vs 24.8%); tests/procedures performed (97.0% vs 74.5%), and test/examination results (96.2% vs 77.3%). Unexplained acronyms and jargon were identified in the majority of the sample (≥70% of letters). Analysis of GP comments highlighted that the overall clarity of discharge letters is important for effective and safe care transitions and that they should be relevant, concise, and comprehensible. Hospital clinicians identified several barriers to producing "successful" letters, including: juniors writing letters, time limitations, writing letters retrospectively from patient notes, and template restrictions. CONCLUSIONS The failure to uniformly implement national discharge letter guidance into practice is continuing to contribute to unsuccessful communication between hospital and general practice. While the study highlighted barriers to producing high quality discharge summaries which may be addressed through training and organisational initiatives, it also indicates a need for ongoing audit to ensure the quality of letters and so reduce patient risk at the point of hospital discharge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharine Weetman
- Unit of Academic Primary Care, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, England, CV4 7AL, UK.
| | - Rachel Spencer
- Unit of Academic Primary Care, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, England, CV4 7AL, UK
| | - Jeremy Dale
- Unit of Academic Primary Care, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, England, CV4 7AL, UK
| | - Emma Scott
- Unit of Academic Primary Care, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, England, CV4 7AL, UK
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Ooi R, Stimson IB, Williams G. Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on acute surgical patients’ discharge summaries – Experience of Wales worst-hit COVID-19 hospital. JOURNAL OF PATIENT SAFETY AND RISK MANAGEMENT 2021. [DOI: 10.1177/25160435211009353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Background The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic has placed increased demands on the NHS workforce, especially in medical and intensive care units. The subsequent redistribution of surgical house officers to accommodate this in a single-centre NHS hospital has possibly negatively impacted on the effective discharge notification of acute surgical patients. Methods Discharge summaries of all patients directly discharged from a Surgical Assessment Unit were collected on the day of discharge and analysed to identify the date of completion and staff grade of the responsible clinician. Data collection was carried out before the initiation of lockdown measures and continued for a further three weeks during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic with an interventional period in between. A poster was created and displayed in areas where discharge software could be accessed. Results In the initial audit, 36.2% of the 246 patients had delayed discharge summaries with an average of 7 days to complete. On re-evaluation, 45.3% of the 223 patients had delayed discharge summaries, taking an average of 12 days to complete. A survey conducted post-re-audit identified that the most common reason for delayed discharge summaries was due to time constraints associated with the increased workload. Conclusion The reallocation of surgical staff in response to the COVID-19 pandemic has affected communication between primary and secondary care, with a rise in delayed discharge letters of acute surgical patients. Given the potential repercussions of these delays, healthcare systems should be aware of this consequence of the pandemic, especially in preparation for any resurgences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rucira Ooi
- Department of General Surgery, Royal Gwent Hospital, Newport, UK
| | | | - Gethin Williams
- Department of General Surgery, Royal Gwent Hospital, Newport, UK
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Handley MA, Landeros J, Wu C, Najmabadi A, Vargas D, Athavale P. What matters when exploring fidelity when using health IT to reduce disparities? BMC Med Inform Decis Mak 2021; 21:119. [PMID: 33827562 PMCID: PMC8028253 DOI: 10.1186/s12911-021-01476-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Implementation of evidence-based interventions often involves strategies to engage diverse populations while also attempting to maintain external validity. When using health IT tools to deliver patient-centered health messages, systems-level requirements are often at odds with 'on-the ground' tailoring approaches for patient-centered care or ensuring equity among linguistically diverse populations. METHODS We conducted a fidelity and acceptability-focused evaluation of the STAR MAMA Program, a 5-month bilingual (English and Spanish) intervention for reducing diabetes risk factors among 181 post-partum women with recent gestational diabetes. The study's purpose was to explore fidelity to pre-determined 'core' (e.g. systems integration) and 'modifiable' equity components (e.g. health coaching responsiveness, and variation by language) using an adapted implementation fidelity framework. Participant-level surveys, systems-level databases of message delivery, call completion, and coaching notes were included. RESULTS 96.6% of participants are Latina and 80.9% were born outside the US. Among those receiving the STAR MAMA intervention; 55 received the calls in Spanish (61%) and 35 English (39%). 90% (n = 81) completed ≥ one week. Initially, systems errors were common, and increased triggers for health coach call-backs. Although Spanish speakers had more triggers over the intervention period, the difference was not statistically significant. Of the calls triggering a health coach follow-up, attempts were made for 85.4% (n = 152) of the English call triggers and for 80.0% (n = 279) of the Spanish call triggers (NS). Of attempted calls, health coaching calls were complete for 55.6% (n = 85) of English-language call triggers and for 56.6% of Spanish-language call triggers (NS). Some differences in acceptability were noted by language, with Spanish-speakers reporting higher satisfaction with prevention content (p = < 0.01) and English-speakers reporting health coaches were less considerate of their time (p = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS By exploring fidelity by language-specific factors, we identified important differences in some but not all equity indicators, with early systems errors quicky remedied and high overall engagement and acceptability. Practice implications include: (1) establishing criteria for languge-equity in interventions, (2) planning for systems level errors so as to reduce their impact between language groups and over time; and (3) examining the impact of engagement with language-concordant interventions on outcomes, including acceptability. Trial Registration National Clinical Trials registration number: CT02240420 Registered September 15, 2014. ClinicalTrials.gov.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret A Handley
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, USA.
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Center for Vulnerable Populations, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, USA.
| | - Jerad Landeros
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Center for Vulnerable Populations, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, USA
| | - Cindie Wu
- University of California, Berkeley School of Public Health, Berkeley, USA
| | - Adriana Najmabadi
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Center for Vulnerable Populations, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, USA
| | - Daniela Vargas
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Center for Vulnerable Populations, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, USA
| | - Priyanka Athavale
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Center for Vulnerable Populations, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, USA
- University of California, Berkeley School of Public Health, Berkeley, USA
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Gupta KK, Ismail A, Balai E, Osborne MS, Murphy J. Writing clinic letters in head and neck outpatient services-Are we doing what patients want? Int J Clin Pract 2021; 75:e13907. [PMID: 33280216 DOI: 10.1111/ijcp.13907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges have recently recommended all outpatient letters to be written directly to patients. We aimed to evaluate clinician and patient preferences for their outpatient letters from a head and neck department at a single-centre secondary care hospital. METHODS A multiple-choice questionnaire was designed and circulated to patients over a 2-week period. The primary outcome measure was the patient preference for the writing style. In order to evaluate existing writing styles, clinic letters were retrospectively sampled from all consultant and registrar grade otolaryngology (ENT) and oral maxillofacial (OMFS) surgeons in the department. These were analysed for readability via Flesch Reading Ease Score and audience. RESULTS Of all 80 included patient responses, 42 expressed a preference for letters to be written directly to the patient (52.5%). Only 5.0% (n = 4) of respondents exhibited a preference for letters to be written to their GP, with 42.5% (n = 34) of patients having no preference. All 54 surgeon letters (100%) were addressed to GPs. The average FRE score was 58.5, representing a reading level of "high school education." DISCUSSION When considered in the wider body of similar studies, there is convincing evidence that patients would prefer letters to be written to them rather than GPs. The authors believe that there should be a push towards patient-directed letters becoming the norm. This will improve patients' understanding of their own health and treatment decisions, allowing them to be more involved in their care and increase patient-centred consultations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keshav Kumar Gupta
- Department of Surgery, The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, New Cross Hospital, Wolverhampton, UK
| | - Ahmed Ismail
- Department of Surgery, The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, New Cross Hospital, Wolverhampton, UK
| | - Edward Balai
- Department of Surgery, The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, New Cross Hospital, Wolverhampton, UK
| | - Max Sallis Osborne
- Department of Surgery, The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, New Cross Hospital, Wolverhampton, UK
| | - John Murphy
- Department of Surgery, The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, New Cross Hospital, Wolverhampton, UK
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Singh H, Armas A, Law S, Tang T, Steele Gray C, Cunningham HV, Thombs R, Ellen M, Sritharan J, Nie JX, Plett D, Jarach CM, Thavorn K, Nelson MLA. How digital health solutions align with the roles and functions that support hospital to home transitions for older adults: a rapid review study protocol. BMJ Open 2021; 11:e045596. [PMID: 33632755 PMCID: PMC7908914 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-045596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2020] [Revised: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Older adults may experience challenges during the hospital to home transitions that could be mitigated by digital health solutions. However, to promote adoption in practice and realise benefits, there is a need to specify how digital health solutions contribute to hospital to home transitions, particularly pertinent in this era of social distancing. This rapid review will: (1) elucidate the various roles and functions that have been developed to support hospital to home transitions of care, (2) identify existing digital health solutions that support hospital to home transitions of care, (3) identify gaps and new opportunities where digital health solutions can support these roles and functions and (4) create recommendations that will inform the design and structure of future digital health interventions that support hospital to home transitions for older adults (eg, the pre-trial results of the Digital Bridge intervention; ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04287192). METHODS AND ANALYSIS A two-phase rapid review will be conducted to meet identified aims. In phase 1, a selective literature review will be used to generate a conceptual map of the roles and functions of individuals that support hospital to home transitions for older adults. In phase 2, a search on MEDLINE, EMBASE and CINAHL will identify literature on digital health solutions that support hospital to home transitions. The ways in which digital health solutions can support the roles and functions that facilitate these transitions will then be mapped in the analysis and generation of findings. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION This protocol is a review of the literature and does not involve human subjects, and therefore, does not require ethics approval. This review will permit the identification of gaps and new opportunities for digital processes and platforms that enable care transitions and can help inform the design and implementation of future digital health interventions. Review findings will be disseminated through publications and presentations to key stakeholders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hardeep Singh
- Bridgepoint Collaboratory for Research and Innovation, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health System, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Alana Armas
- Bridgepoint Collaboratory for Research and Innovation, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health System, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Institute of Health Policy, Management & Evaluation, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Susan Law
- Institute of Health Policy, Management & Evaluation, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Institute for Better Health, Trillium Health Partners, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
| | - Terence Tang
- Institute for Better Health, Trillium Health Partners, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
| | - Carolyn Steele Gray
- Bridgepoint Collaboratory for Research and Innovation, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health System, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Institute of Health Policy, Management & Evaluation, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Heather V Cunningham
- Gerstein Science Information Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Rachel Thombs
- Bridgepoint Collaboratory for Research and Innovation, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health System, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Institute of Health Policy, Management & Evaluation, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Moriah Ellen
- Institute of Health Policy, Management & Evaluation, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Health Systems Management, Guilford Glazer Faculty of Business and Management and Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Jasvinei Sritharan
- Bridgepoint Collaboratory for Research and Innovation, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health System, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jason X Nie
- Institute for Better Health, Trillium Health Partners, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
| | - Donna Plett
- Institute for Better Health, Trillium Health Partners, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
| | - Carlotta Micaela Jarach
- Health Systems Management, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev Faculty of Health Sciences, Beer Sheva, Israel
| | - Kednapa Thavorn
- Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Michelle L A Nelson
- Bridgepoint Collaboratory for Research and Innovation, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health System, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Institute of Health Policy, Management & Evaluation, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Richmond RT, McFadzean IJ, Vallabhaneni P. Reaching the summit of discharge summaries: a quality improvement project. BMJ Open Qual 2021; 10:bmjoq-2020-001142. [PMID: 33589507 PMCID: PMC7887351 DOI: 10.1136/bmjoq-2020-001142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2020] [Revised: 01/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Discharge summaries need to be completed in a timely manner, to improve communication between primary and secondary care, and evidence suggests that delays in discharge summary completion can lead to patient harm.Following a hospital health and safety review due to the sheer backlog of notes in the doctor's room and wards, urgent action had to be undertaken to improve the discharge summary completion process at our hospital's paediatric assessment unit. It was felt that the process would best be carried out within a quality improvement (QI) project. METHODS Kotter's 'eight-step model for change' was implemented in this QI project with the aim to clear the existing backlog of pending discharge summaries and improve the timeliness of discharge summary completion from the hospital's paediatric assessment unit. A minimum target of 10% improvement in the completion rate of discharge summaries was set as the primary goal of the project. RESULTS Following the implementation of the QI processes, we were able to clear the backlog of discharge summaries within 9 months. We improved completion within 24 hours, from <10% to 84%, within 2 months. The success of our project lies in the sustainability of the change process; to date we have consistently achieved the target completion rates since the inception of the project. As a result of the project, we were able to modify the junior doctor rota to remove discharge summary duty slots and bolster workforce on the shop floor. This is still evident in November 2020, with consistently improved discharge summary rates. CONCLUSION QI projects when conducted successfully can be used to improve patient care, as well as reduce administrative burden on junior doctors. Our QI project is an example of how Kotter's eight-step model for change can be applied to clinical practice.
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Nguyen J, Hunter J, Smith L, Forth A, Tyler A, Furney L, Ee C, Harnett JE. Can We All Speak the Same 'Language' for Our Patients' Sake? Feedback on Interprofessional Communication and Related Resources. Glob Adv Health Med 2021; 10:2164956121992338. [PMID: 33628627 PMCID: PMC7883148 DOI: 10.1177/2164956121992338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2020] [Revised: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 01/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The Australasian Integrative Medicine Association (AIMA) established a working group to develop the AIMA Guiding Principles for Letter Writing and Letter Writing Templates. The guiding principles were developed to promote effective communication between the diverse range of healthcare practitioners (HCPs) that patients choose to consult. Following the development of the Interprofessional Communication (IPC) resources, AIMA undertook a public consultation as part of a quality assurance process to evaluate the relevance and utility of the resource. Aim This study reports stakeholder feedback on AIMA's draft guiding principles document. It explores stakeholder attitudes towards IPC and HCPs letter-writing, and interest in ongoing continuing professional development (CPD). Methods A cross-sectional survey involving 1) an online public consultation survey and 2) a paper survey collected following IPC CPD activities. Quantitative data were analysed using Chi square and Fisher-Freeman-Halton Test. Responses to open ended questions were coded and subject to a thematic analysis. Results The 64 survey participants and 55 CPD participants represented the Australian healthcare sectors and lay community. Most thought IPC is important (n = 112/117; 96%) and the resources were informative (n = 112/119; 94%), understandable (n = 111/119; 93%), and clinically relevant (n = 105/117; 90%). HCP reported wide variations in their frequency of correspondence with other practitioner types, with rates often concerningly low. Key IPC themes identified were the importance of continuity of care, clarity of communication, and professional practice. CPD participants were most interested in further IPC training (p = 0.001). Conclusions The IPC resources affirm the role of formal communication pathways, such as letters of correspondence to support coordinated, patient-centred and multidisciplinary care. Challenges with letter writing and IPC signal the need for more student and professional education on the subject to promote continuity of patient care and the delivery of high quality, integrative medicine and health care services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janet Nguyen
- Sydney Pharmacy School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia
| | - Jennifer Hunter
- NICM Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, Australia
| | - Lorraine Smith
- Sydney Pharmacy School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia
| | - Amy Forth
- Institute of Oncology Massage, Waitara, Australia
| | - Amy Tyler
- The Acupuncture Pregnancy Clinic, Alexandria, Australia
| | | | - Carolyn Ee
- NICM Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, Australia
| | - Joanna E Harnett
- Sydney Pharmacy School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia
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Gehrke-Beck S, Gensichen J, Turner KM, Heintze C, Schmidt KF. General practitioners' views and experiences in caring for patients after sepsis: a qualitative interview study. BMJ Open 2021; 11:e040533. [PMID: 33568366 PMCID: PMC7878160 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-040533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patients surviving critical illnesses, such as sepsis, often suffer from long-term complications. After discharge from hospital, most patients are treated in primary care. Little is known how general practitioners (GPs) perform critical illness aftercare and how it can be improved. Within a randomised controlled trial, an outreach training programme has been developed and applied. OBJECTIVES The aim of this study is to describe GPs' views and experiences of caring for postsepsis patients and of participating a specific outreach training. DESIGN Semistructured qualitative interviews. SETTING 14 primary care practices in the metropolitan area of Berlin, Germany. PARTICIPANTS 14 GPs who had participated in a structured sepsis aftercare programme in primary care. RESULTS Themes identified in sepsis aftercare were: continuity of care and good relationship with patients, GP's experiences during their patient's critical illness and impact of persisting symptoms. An outreach education as part of the intervention was considered by the GPs to be acceptable, helpful to improve knowledge of the management of postintensive care complications and useful for sepsis aftercare in daily practice. CONCLUSIONS GPs provide continuity of care to patients surviving sepsis. Better communication at the intensive care unit-GP interface and training in management of long-term complications of sepsis may be helpful to improve sepsis aftercare. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER ISRCTN61744782.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabine Gehrke-Beck
- Institute of General Practice and Family Medicine, Charite University Medicine Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jochen Gensichen
- Institute of General Practice and Family Medicine, University Hospital Munich, Munchen, Germany
- Institute of General Practice and Family Medicine, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
- Center of Sepsis Care and Control, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | | | - Christoph Heintze
- Institute of General Practice and Family Medicine, Charite University Medicine Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Konrad Fr Schmidt
- Institute of General Practice and Family Medicine, Charite University Medicine Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Institute of General Practice and Family Medicine, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
- Center of Sepsis Care and Control, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
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Brew-Sam N, Chhabra M, Parkinson A, Hannan K, Brown E, Pedley L, Brown K, Wright K, Pedley E, Nolan CJ, Phillips C, Suominen H, Tricoli A, Desborough J. Experiences of Young People and Their Caregivers of Using Technology to Manage Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus: Systematic Literature Review and Narrative Synthesis. JMIR Diabetes 2021; 6:e20973. [PMID: 33528374 PMCID: PMC7886614 DOI: 10.2196/20973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2020] [Revised: 07/23/2020] [Accepted: 12/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In the last decade, diabetes management has begun to transition to technology-based care, with young people being the focus of many technological advances. Yet, detailed insights into the experiences of young people and their caregivers of using technology to manage type 1 diabetes mellitus are lacking. OBJECTIVE The objective of our study was to describe the breadth of experiences and perspectives on diabetes technology use among children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus and their caregivers. METHODS This systematic literature review used integrated thematic analysis to guide a narrative synthesis of the included studies. We analyzed the perspectives and experiences of young people with type 1 diabetes mellitus and their caregivers reported in qualitative studies, quantitative descriptive studies, and studies with a mixed methods design. RESULTS Seventeen articles met the inclusion criteria, and they included studies on insulin pump, glucose sensors, and remote monitoring systems. The following eight themes were derived from the analysis: (1) expectations of the technology prior to use, (2) perceived impact on sleep and overnight experiences, (3) experiences with alarms, (4) impact on independence and relationships, (5) perceived usage impact on blood glucose control, (6) device design and features, (7) financial cost, and (8) user satisfaction. While many advantages of using diabetes technology were reported, several challenges for its use were also reported, such as cost, the size and visibility of devices, and the intrusiveness of alarms, which drew attention to the fact that the user had type 1 diabetes mellitus. Continued use of diabetes technology was underpinned by its benefits outweighing its challenges, especially among younger people. CONCLUSIONS Diabetes technologies have improved the quality of life of many young people with type 1 diabetes mellitus and their caregivers. Future design needs to consider the impact of these technologies on relationships between young people and their caregivers, and the impact of device features and characteristics such as size, ease of use, and cost.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Brew-Sam
- Department of Health Services Research and Policy, Research School of Population Health, College of Health and Medicine, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
| | - Madhur Chhabra
- Department of Health Services Research and Policy, Research School of Population Health, College of Health and Medicine, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
| | - Anne Parkinson
- Department of Health Services Research and Policy, Research School of Population Health, College of Health and Medicine, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
| | - Kristal Hannan
- Department of Health Services Research and Policy, Research School of Population Health, College of Health and Medicine, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
| | - Ellen Brown
- Department of Health Services Research and Policy, Research School of Population Health, College of Health and Medicine, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
| | - Lachlan Pedley
- Department of Health Services Research and Policy, Research School of Population Health, College of Health and Medicine, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
| | - Karen Brown
- Department of Health Services Research and Policy, Research School of Population Health, College of Health and Medicine, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia.,Canberra Health Services, Canberra, Australia
| | - Kristine Wright
- Department of Health Services Research and Policy, Research School of Population Health, College of Health and Medicine, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia.,Canberra Health Services, Canberra, Australia
| | - Elizabeth Pedley
- Department of Health Services Research and Policy, Research School of Population Health, College of Health and Medicine, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia.,Canberra Health Services, Canberra, Australia
| | - Christopher J Nolan
- Canberra Health Services, Canberra, Australia.,ANU Medical School, College of Health and Medicine, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia.,The John Curtin School of Medical Research, College of Health and Medicine, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
| | - Christine Phillips
- ANU Medical School, College of Health and Medicine, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
| | - Hanna Suominen
- School of Computing, College of Engineering and Computer Science, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia.,Department of Computing, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.,Data61, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Canberra, Australia
| | - Antonio Tricoli
- The John Curtin School of Medical Research, College of Health and Medicine, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia.,Nanotechnology Research Lab, Research School of Chemistry, College of Science, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
| | - Jane Desborough
- Department of Health Services Research and Policy, Research School of Population Health, College of Health and Medicine, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
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Nguyen AD, Baysari MT, Duong M, Zheng WY, Ng B, Lo S, Robinson F, Hilmer SN. Communicating deprescribing decisions made in hospital with general practitioners in the community. Intern Med J 2021; 51:1473-1478. [PMID: 33465266 DOI: 10.1111/imj.15208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Revised: 12/21/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Deprescribing, the supervised withdrawal of inappropriate medications, intends to manage polypharmacy, which is prevalent in older patients. AIMS To examine general practitioner (GP) perceptions of communication processes between clinicians in hospital and GP in the community about deprescribing decisions made in hospital. METHODS Focus groups and interviews were held with 15 GP, exploring deprescribing in hospitals, communication of deprescribing information and the format of communications. Sessions were audiotaped, transcribed and analysed using an inductive approach. RESULTS GP stated that they should be involved in deprescribing decisions, especially for older complex patients, because of their good knowledge of their patients. Barriers to effective communication included the acute nature of hospital stays and lack of time. Facilitators included long-term relationships of GP with their patients and engaged patients. GP preferred communication of deprescribing decisions to be over the telephone while the patient was still in hospital, and with a concise, electronic discharge summary at the time of discharge. GP indicated that rationale for medication changes and recommended follow-up actions were crucial in a discharge summary to enable care post-discharge. CONCLUSIONS GP welcome increased communication with hospital clinicians regarding deprescribing decisions made while patients are in hospital. Communication needs to be timely, transparent, succinct and accessible. Lack of time and difficulties contacting hospital clinicians challenge this process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy D Nguyen
- Centre for Health Systems & Safety Research, Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,St Vincent's Clinical School, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Melissa T Baysari
- Centre for Health Systems & Safety Research, Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Sydney School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Mai Duong
- Kolling Institute of Medical Research, Departments of Clinical Pharmacology and Aged Care, Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Wu Yi Zheng
- Centre for Health Systems & Safety Research, Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Sydney School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Brendan Ng
- Kolling Institute of Medical Research, Departments of Clinical Pharmacology and Aged Care, Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Older Adult, Rehabilitation and Allied Health Services, Capital and Coast District Health Board, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Sarita Lo
- Kolling Institute of Medical Research, Departments of Clinical Pharmacology and Aged Care, Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Fiona Robinson
- Discipline of General Practice, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Department of General Practice, Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Sarah N Hilmer
- Kolling Institute of Medical Research, Departments of Clinical Pharmacology and Aged Care, Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Northern Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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Troude P, Nieto I, Brion A, Goudinoux R, Laganier J, Ducasse V, Nizard R, Martinez F, Segouin C. Assessing the impact of a quality improvement program on the quality and timeliness of discharge documents: A before and after study. Medicine (Baltimore) 2020; 99:e23776. [PMID: 33371146 PMCID: PMC7748348 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000023776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2020] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Whereas handover of pertinent information between hospital and primary care is necessary to ensure continuity of care and patient safety, both quality of content and timeliness of discharge summary need to be improved. This study aims to assess the impact of a quality improvement program on the quality and timeliness of the discharge summary/letter (DS/DL) in a University hospital with approximatively 40 clinical units using an Electronic medical record (EMR).A discharge documents (DD) quality improvement program including revision of the EMR, educational program, audit (using scoring of DD) and feedback with a ranking of clinical units, was conducted in our hospital between October 2016 and November 2018. Main outcome measures were the proportion of the DD given to the patient at discharge and the mean of the national score assessing the quality of the discharge documents (QDD score) with 95% confidence interval.Intermediate evaluation (2017) showed a significant improvement as the proportion of DD given to patients increased from 63% to 85% (P < .001) and mean QDD score rose from 41 (95%CI [36-46]) to 74/100 (95%CI [71-77]). In the final evaluation (2018), the proportion of DD given to the patient has reached 95% and the mean QDD score was 82/100 (95% CI [80-85]). The areas of the data for admission and discharge treatments remained the lowest level of compliance (44%).The involvement of doctors in the program and the challenge of participating units have fostered the improvement in the quality of the DD. However, the level of appropriation varied widely among clinical units and completeness of important information, such as discharge medications, remains in need of improvement.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Annie Brion
- Direction des Usagers, du Système d’Information et de la Qualité
| | | | | | | | - Rémy Nizard
- Service de chirurgie orthopédique, HU Saint-Louis – Lariboisière – Fernand Widal, AP-HP, Paris, France
| | - Fabien Martinez
- Direction des Usagers, du Système d’Information et de la Qualité
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Wiebe N, Xu Y, Shaheen AA, Eastwood C, Boussat B, Quan H. Indicators of missing Electronic Medical Record (EMR) discharge summaries: A retrospective study on Canadian data. Int J Popul Data Sci 2020; 5:1352. [PMID: 34007880 PMCID: PMC8104063 DOI: 10.23889/ijpds.v5i3.1352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES Electronic medical records (EMRs), specifically the discharge summary (DS), can improve secondary use data availability and interprofessional communication. We aimed to describe the completeness of our EMRs by assessing the presence of a DS in the EMR. Additionally, we assessed for indicators of a missing DS. METHODS A chart review was conducted on 3,011 non-obstetric adult inpatient charts in Calgary, Alberta. 893 charts were missing an electronic DS. A 10% sample was drawn to evaluate the presence of a paper DS. A Chi-square test, Fisher's test and logistic regression measured the associations between electronic DS absence and i) patient and hospital characteristics, and ii) patient comorbidities. RESULTS The univariate analyses showed that age, being a surgical patient, a Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) of 1, as well as patients with myocardial infarctions, congestive heart failure, cerebrovascular disease, dementia, chronic pulmonary disease, diabetes, and renal disease were associated with a missing DS. Those that were middle aged, surgical patients, or had fewer comorbidities were more likely to have a missing DS. Within the 10% sample, approximately 50% of all patients were from a surgical department, all of which were missing both electronic and paper discharge summaries. CONCLUSIONS Our study describes indicators of missing electronic DS. The DS impacts interprofessional communication, patient outcomes, and data quality. Therefore, the implications of an incomplete DS are widespread. Our findings will caution future researchers using EMR data about the potential for incomplete data, particularly for patients who are surgical, middle aged, and have fewer comorbidities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie Wiebe
- Department of Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Yuan Xu
- Department of Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Abdel Aziz Shaheen
- Department of Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Catherine Eastwood
- Department of Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Bastien Boussat
- Department of Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
- Quality of Care Unit, TIMC UMR 5525 CNRS, Computational and Mathematical Biology Team, Grenoble Alpes University Hospital, Grenoble, France
| | - Hude Quan
- Department of Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
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Do Nascimento G, Guilherme Nunes F, Anderson JE. From hospital to post-acute care organizations: the relationship between patient experience and health recovery. Int J Qual Health Care 2020; 32:585-590. [PMID: 32797155 DOI: 10.1093/intqhc/mzaa095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2020] [Revised: 06/18/2020] [Accepted: 08/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To determine to what extent patient health status and recovery in post-acute care organizations (PACO) is related to patient experience of the discharge process from hospital and to patient experience while staying in these facilities. DESIGN Longitudinal study of patients discharged from hospitals to PACO. SETTING 12 hospitals and 14 PACO Portuguese organizations. PARTICIPANTS 181 patients participated in the both stages of data gathering. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Patients' physical and mental health status was measured through the 36-item short form health survey scale. The experience of transition from hospital to PACO was measured with the Care Transition Measure. The Picker Adult In-Patient Questionnaire was used to measure patients' experience in these organizations. RESULTS Patients reporting better physical condition in PACO had a better experience on discharge [b = 0.21, 95% confidence interval, CI (0.10, 0.31)] and perceive fewer problems inside facilities [b = - 0.19, 95% CI (-0.31, 0.08)]. The experience in PACO is significantly related to patients' mental health status [b = - 0.47, 95% CI (-0.59, - 0.36)]. Patients showing higher levels of physical recovery had a better experience on discharge [b = - 0.18, 95% CI (0.08, 0.28)], while those registering better mental recovery experienced fewer problems during their stay [b = - 0.41, 95% CI (-0.52, - 0.30)]. CONCLUSIONS PACO play a key role in maintaining and promoting patients' health, and this goal is influenced by their experience both in the transition from hospitals to PACO and while staying in these facilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Generosa Do Nascimento
- Human Resources and Organizational Behavior, ISCTE-IUL, BRU-IUL. Avenida das Forças Armadas, 1649-026, LISBOA, Portugal
| | - Francisco Guilherme Nunes
- Human Resources and Organizational Behavior, ISCTE-IUL, BRU-IUL. Avenida das Forças Armadas, 1649-026, LISBOA, Portugal
| | - Janet E Anderson
- Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery and Palliative Care, King's College London, James Clerk Maxwell Building, 57 Waterloo Road, London, UK
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Tan SC, Haines K, Zhang N. Beyond the ventilator: Rehabilitation for critically ill patients with coronavirus disease 2019. Aust Crit Care 2020; 33:485-487. [PMID: 33250130 PMCID: PMC7690265 DOI: 10.1016/j.aucc.2020.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Sing Chee Tan
- Intensive Care Specialist, Northern Health, Victoria, Australia.
| | | | - Nina Zhang
- Rehabilitation Specialist, Melbourne Health, Victoria, Australia
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Barr ML, Welberry H, Hall J, Comino EJ, Harris E, Harris-Roxas BF, Jackson T, Donnelly D, Harris MF. General practitioner follow-up after hospitalisation in Central and Eastern Sydney, Australia: access and impact on health services. AUST HEALTH REV 2020; 45:247-254. [PMID: 33087226 DOI: 10.1071/ah19285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2019] [Accepted: 06/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Objectives General practitioner (GP) follow-up after a hospital admission is an important indicator of integrated care. We examined the characteristics of patients who saw a GP within 2 weeks of hospital discharge in the Central and Eastern Sydney (CES) region, Australia, and the relationship between GP follow-up and subsequent hospitalisation. Methods This data linkage study used a cohort of 10240 people from the 45 and Up Study who resided in CES and experienced an overnight hospitalisation in the 5 years following recruitment (2007-14). Characteristics of participants who saw a GP within 2 weeks of discharge were compared with those who did not using generalised linear models. Time to subsequent hospitalisation was compared for the two groups using Cox proportional hazards regression models stratified by prior frequency of GP use. Results Within 2 weeks of discharge, 64.3% participants saw a GP. Seeing a GP within 2 weeks of discharge was associated with lower rates of rehospitalisation for infrequent GP users (i.e. <8 visits in year before the index hospitalisation; hazard ratio (HR) 0.83; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.70-0.97) but not frequent GP users (i.e. ≥8 plus visits; HR 1.02; 95% CI 0.90-1.17). Conclusion The effect of seeing a GP on subsequent hospitalisation was protective but differed depending on patient care needs. What is known about the topic? There is general consensus among healthcare providers that primary care is a significant source of ongoing health care provision. What does this paper add? This study explored the relationship between GP follow-up after an uncomplicated hospitalisation and its effect on rehospitalisation. What are the implications for practitioners? Discharge planning and the transfer of care from hospital to GP through discharge arrangements have substantial benefits for both patients and the health system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margo Linn Barr
- Centre for Primary Health Care and Equity, Faculty of Medicine, Level 3, AGSM Building, UNSW, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia. ; ; ; ; ; and Corresponding author.
| | - Heidi Welberry
- Centre for Primary Health Care and Equity, Faculty of Medicine, Level 3, AGSM Building, UNSW, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia. ; ; ; ;
| | - John Hall
- Faculty of Medicine, Wallace Wurth Building, 18 High Street, UNSW, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
| | - Elizabeth J Comino
- Centre for Primary Health Care and Equity, Faculty of Medicine, Level 3, AGSM Building, UNSW, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia. ; ; ; ;
| | - Elizabeth Harris
- Centre for Primary Health Care and Equity, Faculty of Medicine, Level 3, AGSM Building, UNSW, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia. ; ; ; ;
| | - Ben F Harris-Roxas
- Centre for Primary Health Care and Equity, Faculty of Medicine, Level 3, AGSM Building, UNSW, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia. ; ; ; ;
| | - Tony Jackson
- South Eastern Sydney Local Health District, NSW Health, District Executive Unit, Locked Mail Bag 21, Tarren Point, NSW 2229, Australia.
| | - Debra Donnelly
- Sydney Local Health District, NSW Health, Level 11, KGV Building, Missenden Road, Camperdown, NSW 2050, Australia.
| | - Mark Fort Harris
- Centre for Primary Health Care and Equity, Faculty of Medicine, Level 3, AGSM Building, UNSW, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia. ; ; ; ;
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Physicians' perspectives on estimating and communicating prognosis in palliative care: a cross-sectional survey. BJGP Open 2020; 4:bjgpopen20X101078. [PMID: 32967841 PMCID: PMC7606137 DOI: 10.3399/bjgpopen20x101078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2019] [Accepted: 01/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Advance care planning (ACP) can help to enhance the care of patients with limited life expectancy. Despite physicians’ key role in ACP, the ways in which physicians estimate and communicate prognosis can be improved. Aim To determine how physicians in different care settings self-assess their performance in estimating and communicating prognosis to patients in palliative care, and how they perceive their communication with other physicians about patients’ poor prognosis. Design & setting A survey study was performed among a random sample of GPs, hospital physicians (HPs), and nursing home physicians (NHPs) in the southwest of the Netherlands (n = 2212). Method A questionnaire was developed that had three versions for GPs, HPs, and NHPs. Each specialism filled in an appropriate version. Results A total of 547 physicians participated: 259 GPs, 205 HPs, and 83 NHPs. In the study, 61.1% of physicians indicated being able to adequately estimate whether a patient will die within 1 year, which was associated with use of the Surprise Question (odds ratio [OR] = 1.65, P = 0.042). In the case of a prognosis of <1 year, 75.0% of physicians indicated that they communicate with patients about preferences regarding treatment and care, which was associated with physicians being trained in palliative care (OR = 2.02, P=0.007). In cases where patients with poor prognosis are discharged after hospital admission, 83.4% of HPs indicated that they inform GPs about these patients’ preferences compared with 29.0% of GPs, and 21.7% of NHPs, who indicated that they are usually adequately informed about the preferences. Conclusion The majority of physicians indicated that they believe they can adequately estimate patients’ limited life expectancy and that they discuss patients’ preferences for care. However, more physicians should be trained in communicating about patients’ poor prognosis and care preferences.
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Merchant H, Nyamapfene T. An evaluation of educational interventions aimed at preparing medical students for discharge summary writing: a rapid review of the literature. Ir J Med Sci 2020; 190:523-530. [PMID: 32725348 DOI: 10.1007/s11845-020-02325-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2020] [Accepted: 07/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Whilst discharge summaries are important for ensuring patient continuity of care, they often lack important information. Medical students and newly qualified doctors have attributed this to insufficient teaching, thereby indicating a need to improve discharge summary education within the undergraduate medical curriculum. The aim was to review educational approaches used to prepare undergraduate medical students for discharge summary writing, and their effectiveness Medline and Scopus were systematically searched using keywords, for studies published between 2009 and 2019. Narrative synthesis was used to integrate the findings of the included studies. Study quality was appraised using the Medical Education Research Study Quality Instrument. Six studies were included in this review. Allowing students to write a discharge summary following a real patient encounter and receive written feedback was the most common educational approach used (n = 4). Three of these studies improved student attitudes towards discharge summary writing. One study described the use of a mobile application, which improved discharge summary quality. Another study utilized interprofessional learning but the effect was statistically insignificant. Medical Education Research Study Quality Instrument scores were satisfactory (mean = 12, range = 8.4-15). The literature concerning this topic is limited. The results indicate that providing written feedback to students can positively influence attitudes towards discharge summary writing. Optimisation of the quality of discharge summaries written by medical students using feedback and checklists requires further investigation, as does the use of interprofessional learning. Future studies would additionally benefit from including participant baseline data and control groups, being multicentred and measuring behavioural or patient/healthcare outcomes.
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Machine Learning Based Sentiment Text Classification for Evaluating Treatment Quality of Discharge Summary. INFORMATION 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/info11050281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Patients’ discharge summaries (documents) are health sensors that are used for measuring the quality of treatment in medical centers. However, extracting information automatically from discharge summaries with unstructured natural language is considered challenging. These kinds of documents include various aspects of patient information that could be used to test the treatment quality for improving medical-related decisions. One of the significant techniques in literature for discharge summaries classification is feature extraction techniques from the domain of natural language processing on text data. We propose a novel sentiment analysis method for discharge summaries classification that relies on vector space models, statistical methods, association rule, and extreme learning machine autoencoder (ELM-AE). Our novel hybrid model is based on statistical methods that build the lexicon in a domain related to health and medical records. Meanwhile, our method examines treatment quality based on an idea inspired by sentiment analysis. Experiments prove that our proposed method obtains a higher F1 value of 0.89 with good TPR (True Positive Rate) and FPR (False Positive Rate) values compared with various well-known state-of-the-art methods with different size of training and testing datasets. The results also prove that our method provides a flexible and effective technique to examine treatment quality based on positive, negative, and neutral terms for sentence-level in each discharge summary.
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Humphries C, Jaganathan S, Panniyammakal J, Singh S, Dorairaj P, Price M, Gill P, Greenfield S, Lilford R, Manaseki-Holland S. Investigating discharge communication for chronic disease patients in three hospitals in India. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0230438. [PMID: 32294091 PMCID: PMC7159187 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0230438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2019] [Accepted: 02/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Poor discharge communication is associated with negative health outcomes in high-income countries. However, quality of discharge communication has received little attention in India and many other low and middle-income countries. PRIMARY OBJECTIVE To investigate verbal and documented discharge communication for chronic non-communicable disease (NCD) patients. SECONDARY OBJECTIVE To explore the relationship between quality of discharge communication and health outcomes. METHODS DESIGN Prospective study. SETTING Three public hospitals in Himachal Pradesh and Kerala states, India. PARTICIPANTS 546 chronic NCD (chronic respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease or diabetes) patients. Piloted questionnaires were completed at admission, discharge and five and eighteen-week follow-up covering health status, discharge communication practices and health-seeking behaviour. Logistic regression was used to explore the relationship between quality of discharge communication and health outcomes. OUTCOME MEASURES PRIMARY Patient recall and experiences of verbal and documented discharge communication. SECONDARY Death, hospital readmission and self-reported deterioration of NCD/s. RESULTS All patients received discharge notes, predominantly on sheets of paper with basic pre-printed headings (71%) or no structure (19%); 31% of notes contained all the following information required for facilitating continuity of care: diagnosis, medication information, lifestyle advice, and follow-up instructions. Patient reports indicated notable variations in verbal information provided during discharge consultations; 50% received ongoing treatment/management information and 23% received lifestyle advice. Within 18 weeks of follow-up, 25 (5%) patients had died, 69 (13%) had been readmitted and 62 (11%) reported that their chronic NCD/s had deteriorated. Significant associations were found between low-quality documented discharge communication and death (AOR = 3.00; 95% CI 1.27,7.06) and low-quality verbal discharge communication and self-reported deterioration of chronic NCD/s (AOR = 0.46; 95% CI 0.25,0.83) within 18-weeks of follow-up. CONCLUSIONS Sub-optimal discharge practices may be compromising continuity and safety of chronic NCD patient care. Structured protocols, documents and training are required to improve discharge communication, healthcare integration and NCD management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Humphries
- Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, England, United Kingdom
| | - Suganthi Jaganathan
- Public Health Foundation of India, Delhi, India
- Centre for Chronic Disease Control, Delhi, India
| | - Jeemon Panniyammakal
- Public Health Foundation of India, Delhi, India
- Centre for Chronic Disease Control, Delhi, India
- Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute of Medical Sciences and Technology, Trivandrum, India
| | - Sanjeev Singh
- Hospital Administration, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Kochi, India
| | - Prabhakaran Dorairaj
- Public Health Foundation of India, Delhi, India
- Centre for Chronic Disease Control, Delhi, India
| | - Malcolm Price
- Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, England, United Kingdom
- NIHR Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust and University of Birmingham, Birmingham, England, United Kingdom
- University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, England, United Kingdom
| | - Paramjit Gill
- Academic Unit of Primary Care, University of Warwick, Coventry, England, United Kingdom
| | - Sheila Greenfield
- Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, England, United Kingdom
| | - Richard Lilford
- Centre for Applied Health Research and Delivery, University of Warwick, Coventry, England, United Kingdom
| | - Semira Manaseki-Holland
- Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, England, United Kingdom
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Elliott RA, Tan Y, Chan V, Richardson B, Tanner F, Dorevitch MI. Pharmacist-Physician Collaboration to Improve the Accuracy of Medication Information in Electronic Medical Discharge Summaries: Effectiveness and Sustainability. PHARMACY 2019; 8:pharmacy8010002. [PMID: 31905902 PMCID: PMC7151653 DOI: 10.3390/pharmacy8010002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2019] [Revised: 12/16/2019] [Accepted: 12/27/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Inaccurate or missing medication information in medical discharge summaries is a widespread and intractable problem. This study evaluated the effectiveness and sustainability of an intervention in which ward-based hospital pharmacists reviewed, contributed and verified medication information in electronic discharge summaries (EDSs) in collaboration with physicians. Retrospective audits of randomly selected EDSs were conducted on seven wards at a major public hospital before and after implementation of the intervention and repeated two years later on four wards where the intervention was incorporated into usual pharmacist care. EDSs for 265 patients (prescribed a median of nine discharge medications) were assessed across the three time points. Pharmacists verified the EDSs for 47% patients in the first post-intervention audit and 68% patients in the second post-intervention audit. Following the intervention, the proportion of patients with one or more clinically significant discharge medication list discrepancy fell from 40/93 (43%) to 14/92 (15%), p < 0.001. The proportion of clinically significant medication changes stated in the EDSs increased from 222/417 (53%) to 296/366 (81%), p < 0.001, and the proportion both stated and explained increased from 206/417 (49%) to 245/366 (67%), p < 0.001. Significant improvements were still evident after two years. Pharmacists spent a median of 5 (range 2-16) minutes per patient contributing to EDSs. Logistics, timing and pharmacist workload were barriers to delivering the intervention. Additional staff resources is needed to enable pharmacists to consistently deliver this effective intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rohan A. Elliott
- Pharmacy Department, Austin Health, Heidelberg, VIC 3084, Australia; (Y.T.); (V.C.); (B.R.); (F.T.)
- Centre for Medicine Use and Safety, Monash University, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +61-9496-2334
| | - Yixin Tan
- Pharmacy Department, Austin Health, Heidelberg, VIC 3084, Australia; (Y.T.); (V.C.); (B.R.); (F.T.)
- Pharmacy Department, Waitemata District Health Board, Auckland 0620, New Zealand
| | - Vincent Chan
- Pharmacy Department, Austin Health, Heidelberg, VIC 3084, Australia; (Y.T.); (V.C.); (B.R.); (F.T.)
- School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Bundoora, VIC 3083, Australia
| | - Belinda Richardson
- Pharmacy Department, Austin Health, Heidelberg, VIC 3084, Australia; (Y.T.); (V.C.); (B.R.); (F.T.)
| | - Francine Tanner
- Pharmacy Department, Austin Health, Heidelberg, VIC 3084, Australia; (Y.T.); (V.C.); (B.R.); (F.T.)
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Hoffmann M, Schwarz CM, Pregartner G, Weinrauch M, Jantscher L, Kamolz L, Brunner G, Sendlhofer G. Attitudes of physicians towards target groups and content of the discharge summary: a cross-sectional analysis in Styria, Austria. BMJ Open 2019; 9:e034857. [PMID: 31852713 PMCID: PMC6937118 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2019-034857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The discharge summary (DS) represents one of the most important instruments to ensure a safe patient discharge from the hospital. They sometimes have poor quality in content and often include medical jargon, which the patient and their relatives cannot easily understand. Therefore, many risks for patient safety exist. This study investigated the questions for whom the DS is and which contents are necessary to ensure a safe treatment. DESIGN Cross-sectional analysis. SETTING Styria, Austria. PARTICIPANTS 3948 internal and external physicians were consulted. INTERVENTIONS An online survey consisting of 24 questions was conducted. The survey was distributed to physicians working in the province of Styria, Austria, in 2018 over a period of 6 months. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Attitudes of internal and external physicians in terms of target group, content and health literacy. RESULTS In total, 1060 physicians participated in the survey. The DS is considered as a communication tool among physicians (97.9%) and the patients are also indicated as addressees (73.5%). Furthermore, there is a high level of agreement that understandable information in the DS leads to fewer questions of the patients (67.9%). CONCLUSION In conclusion, the DS is not only seen as a document for the further treating physician but is also relevant for the patient. Incorporating the patient into their treatment at all levels may possibly strengthen the individual health literacy of the patient and their caring relatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Hoffmann
- Executive Department for Quality and Risk Management, Hospital of the Federal State of Styria and University Hospital Graz, Graz, Austria
- Research Unit for Safety in Health, Division of Plastic, Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
- Division of Endocrinology and Diabetology, Department of Internal Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Christine Maria Schwarz
- Executive Department for Quality and Risk Management, Hospital of the Federal State of Styria and University Hospital Graz, Graz, Austria
- Research Unit for Safety in Health, Division of Plastic, Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Gudrun Pregartner
- Institute for Medical Informatics, Statistics und Documentation, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Maximilian Weinrauch
- Executive Department for Quality and Risk Management, Hospital of the Federal State of Styria and University Hospital Graz, Graz, Austria
- Research Unit for Safety in Health, Division of Plastic, Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Lydia Jantscher
- Executive Department for Quality and Risk Management, Hospital of the Federal State of Styria and University Hospital Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Lars Kamolz
- Research Unit for Safety in Health, Division of Plastic, Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Gernot Brunner
- Research Unit for Safety in Health, Division of Plastic, Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Gerald Sendlhofer
- Executive Department for Quality and Risk Management, Hospital of the Federal State of Styria and University Hospital Graz, Graz, Austria
- Research Unit for Safety in Health, Division of Plastic, Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
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