title: Blinded randomised controlled study of the effect of a discharge communication template on proton pump inhibitor prescribing.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate whether the inclusion of advice in the hospital discharge letter regarding published guidelines for the review of PPI therapy can increase the number of patients that have documented PPI therapy review, consistent with the published guidelines, following hospital discharge.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients on PPIs at discharge from hospital were randomised to either have their hospital discharge letter completed as per usual practice or to have additional information on PPI review included that was aligned to published local guidelines. Patients' GP records were reviewed at 3 to 6 months post discharge to determine if a PPI review had occurred and if that review adhered to the guidelines.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Including specific, guideline based, PPI discharge instructions in the hospital discharge summary did not significantly increase the number of patients receiving post-discharge review consistent with the guidelines. Post discharge only 5/26 (19%) patients in the control group and 6/25 (24%) in the intervention group had their PPI therapy reviewed in accordance with the guidelines.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We were not able to demonstrate a beneficial change in PPI prescribing practice from the inclusion of PPI prescribing advice in the discharge letter.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Hutt Valley DHB, Lower Hutt, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lampen-Smith
authors.forename: Janice
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Young
authors.forename: Mary-Anne
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: O'Rourke
authors.forename: Astuti
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Balram
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Inns
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004415:Dyspepsia / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D058006:General Practice; D019983:Guideline Adherence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006356:Heartburn / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D057970:Inappropriate Prescribing / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D033183:Interdisciplinary Communication; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records; D008875:Middle Aged; D009520:New Zealand; D010351:Patient Discharge; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D054328:Proton Pump Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016037:Single-Blind Method
chemical_list: D054328:Proton Pump Inhibitors