title: A quality assurance activity to improve discharge communication with general practice.
abstract: The aim of this study was to describe and evaluate a method of improving the completion of discharge summary information. As a quality assurance activity, a self-carbonating form for both the patient record and discharge letter was introduced to a general practice casualty (GPC) in Sydney, Australia, involving approximately 40 community GPs. Evaluation involved assessment of the change associated with this intervention on a cohort of GPs using logistic regression analysis, clustering at the level of the treating GP. The main outcome measure was completion of a discharge letter to the patient's usual GP. Provision of discharge letters increased from 30% prior to the intervention to 90% following it (P< 0.0005; OR 11.9; 95% CI 8.6-16.4). It was concluded that solutions to problems of quality are best developed at the system level. The use of a self-carbonating form to simultaneously generate a discharge letter and the medical record might be used by other similar services with good effect.
authors.affiliation: Central Sydney Area Health Service, and Department of Community Medicine, University of New South Wales, Australia. pbolton@email.cs.nsw.gov.au
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bolton
mesh_terms: D001315:Australia; D003142:Communication; D003266:Continuity of Patient Care; D005194:Family Practice / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D010351:Patient Discharge / Q000592:standards*; D017064:Process Assessment, Health Care; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care