Are discharge summaries teachable? The effects of a discharge summary curriculum on the quality of discharge summaries in an internal medicine residency program.
BACKGROUND
Interns are often required to dictate discharge summaries without formal training. We investigated the impact of a curriculum aimed at improving the quality (i.e., complete, organized, succinct, internally consistent, and readable) of interns' discharge summaries.


METHODS
Fifty-nine medicine interns were randomized to a: (1) control group; (2) discharge summary curriculum; or (3) curriculum plus individualized feedback. Pre- and post-intervention, seven discharge summaries were graded using a 9-item instrument. T-tests, analysis of covariance, and effect sizes assessed group differences.


RESULTS
There were multiple, significant within-group improvements for the intervention groups and between group differences post-intervention. The average effect size was large when the curriculum plus feedback group was compared to the control group (.70) and moderate when compared to the curriculum only group (.36).


CONCLUSIONS
Interns who received instruction on discharge summary skills improved the quality and of their discharge summaries. Adding feedback to the curriculum provided more benefit.
Myers
Jennifer S
JS
Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Spruce Street, Penn Tower Suite 2009, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. jennifer.myers@uphs.upenn.edu
Jaipaul
C Komal
CK
Kogan
Jennifer R
JR
Krekun
Susan
S
Bellini
Lisa M
LM
Shea
Judy A
JA
D003479:Curriculum; D006801:Humans; D007388:Internal Medicine / Q000193:education*; D007396:Internship and Residency; D008499:Medical Records; D010351:Patient Discharge / Q000592:standards*; D010414:Pennsylvania