title: A quality use of medicines program for continuity of care in therapeutics from hospital to community.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: 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
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mant
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kehoe
authors.forename: Nicole L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Cockayne
authors.forename: Karen I
authors.initials: KI
authors.lastname: Kaye
authors.forename: Wendy C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Rotem
mesh_terms: D001315:Australia; D003266:Continuity of Patient Care / Q000592:standards*; D004358:Drug Therapy; D005194:Family Practice; D006761:Hospitals; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires