[CONSULTENOS: hospital discharge information programmes. Development and results from the first year of operation in 5 hospitals].
BACKGROUND
The increased number of adverse effects from medicines occurring due to various discrepancies and medication errors at the time of a patient's discharge from hospital has lead us to develop measures to resolve these issues. The aim of this study is to present the methodology and design of a hospital discharge information programme and to describe the most representative findings.


METHODS
A common methodology was established and patients from 5 different hospitals were included in a hospital discharge information programme. An informative interview was carried out at the time of discharge and oral and written information was given regarding the patient's complete treatment at that point. After 7 days a follow up telephone call was made to assess our intervention. The information was collated and the patients' satisfaction with the programme was measured.


RESULTS
6,198 patients were included in the programme, 4,955 (79.86%) were informed. 6,454 interventions were carried out (980 to improve the efficiency of treatment, 531 the efficiency of safety, 4,770 informative interventions and 107 directed at other levels of care). Seven days later 4174 patients were contacted. 14.53% presented a problem with their medications, 8.96% had solved the problem by the time the call was made and 4.4% found that the instructions given to them at the time of being discharged from hospital helped them to solve the problem. There was a high level of satisfaction with the service (4.64 points out of 5).


CONCLUSIONS
It is possible to develop a hospital discharge information programme as a care service. A high level of satisfaction has been achieved and safety has improved with regards the use of medication.
Pardo López
M A
MA
Servicio de Farmacia, Hospital Universitari San Joan d'Alacant, Alicante, España. pardo_man@gva.es
Aznar Saliente
M T
MT
Soler Company
E
E
D000368:Aged; D004358:Drug Therapy / Q000592:standards*; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010351:Patient Discharge; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D016730:Program Development; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors