title: Timeliness in discharge summary dissemination is associated with patients' clinical outcomes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the relation of the readmission rate of general medical patients to either the existence of a discharge summary or the timeliness of its dispatch.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a retrospective study on discharge summaries of all discharges from the general medical service at a tertiary referral teaching hospital from January 2005 to December 2009. The main outcome measures were readmission rate to hospital within 7 or 28 days of discharge
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 16 496 patient admissions were included in the analysis. Of these discharges, 3397 (20.6%) patients did not have a summary completed within a week of discharge. There were significant linear trends between patients' readmission rates within 7 (P < 0.001) or 28 days (P < 0.001) and categories reflecting the delay in dispatch of their discharge summaries. The absence of a discharge summary was associated with a 79% increase in the rate of readmission within 7 days [95% confidence interval (CI) 42 to 124% increase; P < 0.001] and a 37% increased rate of readmission within 28 days (95% CI 17 to 61% increase; P < 0.001). If aged less than 80 years, the absence of a discharge summary was associated with a 127% increase in readmission rate within 7 days (95% CI 72 to 202% increase; P < 0.001) and a 55% increase within 28 days (95% CI 25 to 91% increase; P < 0.001) after discharge.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Delayed transmission or absence of a discharge summary is associated with readmission of the patient; more so in patients less than 80 years old. If no summary is generated by 7 days after discharge, the rate of readmission within 7 or 28 days after discharge is indistinguishable from no summary being written at all.
authors: Department of General Medicine, Flinders Medical Centre, Flinders University, Bedford Park, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
authors: Jordan Y Z
authors: JY
authors: Li
authors: Tuck Y
authors: TY
authors: Yong
authors: Paul
authors: P
authors: Hakendorf
authors: David
authors: D
authors: Ben-Tovim
authors: Campbell H
authors: CH
authors: Thompson
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003266:Continuity of Patient Care / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010351:Patient Discharge / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010359:Patient Readmission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011787:Quality of Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors