A quality use of medicines program for continuity of care in therapeutics from hospital to community.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate adherence to an agreed minimum dataset for patient medication information exchange between hospitals and general practitioners.


METHODS
Quasi pre-post design with a supplementary post-program comparison group; sequential descriptive surveys of patients following recent discharge from public hospitals; opinion questionnaire for key hospital informants; stakeholder forum to review data and Quality Use of Medicines (QUM) action plans between pre- and post-program surveys.


METHODS
GPs and hospitals from the South East Area Health Service, Sydney. During 2000-2001, 81/124 GPs (65%) returned 147 patient questionnaires in initial follow-up; 88/119 GPs (74%) returned 131 questionnaires in final follow-up; a supplementary group of 54/120 GPs (45%) returned 66 questionnaires; 32/45 (71%) of nominated key informants responded to the hospital survey.


RESULTS
Direct notification of GPs by hospitals of their patient's admission was unchanged from the initial level of 22%. The proportion of GPs providing medication information to the hospital increased from 38% to 51% at Stage 2 (P < 0.05) and remained at 52% at Stage 3. The proportion of GPs receiving discharge summaries directly (initially 2%) increased to 26% at Stage 2 (P < 0.001) and remained at 27% at Stage 3.


CONCLUSIONS
System change is slow to occur, but changes that are implemented are maintained. The stakeholder forum suggested that a specific person should be responsible for GP liaison.
Mant
Andrea
A
Quality Use of Medicines Services, South East Sydney Area Health Service, Level 5, 376 Victoria Street, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010, Australia. a.mant@unsw.edu.au
Kehoe
Linda
L
Cockayne
Nicole L
NL
Kaye
Karen I
KI
Rotem
Wendy C
WC
D001315:Australia; D003266:Continuity of Patient Care / Q000592:standards*; D004358:Drug Therapy; D005194:Family Practice; D006761:Hospitals; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires