title: Optimizing the quality of hospital discharge summaries--a systematic review and practical tools.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Although doctors' discharge summaries (DS) are important forms of communication between the physicians in patient care, deficits in the quality of DS are common. This review aims to answer the following question: according to the literature, how can the quality of DS be improved by (1) interventions; (2) reviews and guidelines of regulatory bodies; and (3) other practical recommendations?
  
  
  METHODS
  Systematic review of the literature.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The scientific papers on optimizing the quality of DS (n = 234) are heterogeneous and do not allow any meta-analysis. The interventional studies revealed that a structured approach of writing, educational training including feedback and the use of a checklist are effective methods. Guidelines are helpful for outlining the key characteristics of DS. Additionally, the articles in the literature provided practical proposals on improving form, structure, clinical content, treatment recommendations, follow-up plan, medications and changes, addressees, patient data, length, language, dictation, electronic processing and timeliness of DS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The literature review revealed various possibilities for improving the quality of DS.
authors.affiliation: Klinikum Dortmund gGmbH, Respiratory Medicine, Infectious Diseases, Intensive Care Medicine , Dortmund , Germany.
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Unnewehr
authors.forename: Bernhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Schaaf
authors.forename: Rusi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Marev
authors.forename: Jason
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fitch
authors.forename: Hendrik
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Friederichs
mesh_terms: D003142:Communication; D006801:Humans; D063886:Patient Discharge Summaries; D058996:Quality Improvement
keywords: Discharge summary; documentation; medical education; problem-oriented medical records; process quality