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INTRODUCTION: Discharge from hospital is a risk to drug continuity and medication safety. In Germany, new legal requirements concerning the management of patient discharge from the hospital came into force in 2017. They set minimum requirements for the documentation of medications in patient discharge summaries, which are the primary means of communication at transitions of care. Six years later, data on their practical implementation in routine care are lacking. METHODS: Within the scope of an explorative retrospective observational study, the minimum requirements were operationalized and a second set of assessment criteria was derived from the recommendation "Good Prescribing Practice in Drug Therapy" published by the Aktionsbündnis Patientensicherheit e.V. as a comparative quality standard. A sample of discharge summaries was drawn from routine care at the University Hospital Heidelberg and assessed according to their fulfilment of the criteria sets. In addition, the potential influence of certain context factors (e. g., involvement of clinical pharmacists or software usage) was evaluated. RESULTS: In total, 11 quality criteria were derived from the minimum requirements. According to the eligibility criteria (i. e., three or more discharge medications) 352 discharge summaries (42 wards; issued in May-July 2021), containing in total 3,051 medications, were included. The practical implementation of the minimum requirements for documenting medications in patient discharge summaries differed considerably depending on the criterion and defined context factors. Core elements (i. e., drug name, strength, and dosage at discharge) were fulfilled in 82.8 %, while further minimum requirements were rarely met or completely lacking (e. g., explanations for special pharmaceutical forms). Involvement of clinical pharmacists and usage of software were shown to be a facilitator of documentation quality, while on-demand medication (compared to long-term medication) as well as newly prescribed medication (compared to home medication or medication changed during hospitalisation) showed poorer documentation quality. In addition, the documentation quality seemed to depend on the department and the day of discharge. CONCLUSION: To date, the wording of the German legal requirements allows for different interpretations without considering the respective clinical setting and the medication actually prescribed. For future clarification of the requirements, implications of the wording for the clinical setting should be considered.

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BACKGROUND: Patients who have benefited from specialist intervention during periods of acute/complex palliative care needs often transition from specialist-to-primary care once such needs have been controlled. Effective communication between services is central to co-ordination of care to avoid the potential consequences of unmet needs, fragmented care, and poor patient and family experience. Discharge communications are a key component of care transitions. However, little is known about the experiences of those primarily receiving these communications, to include patients', carers' and primary care healthcare professionals. This study aims to have a better understanding of how the discharge communications from specialist palliative care services to primary care are experienced by patients, carers, and healthcare professionals, and how these communications might be improved to support effective patient-centred care. METHODS: This is a 15-month qualitative study. We will interview 30 adult patients and carers and 15 healthcare professionals (n = 45). We will seek a range of experiences of discharge communication by using a maximum variation approach to sampling, including purposively recruiting people from a range of demographic backgrounds from 4-6 specialist palliative care services (hospitals and hospices) as well as 5-7 general practices. Interview data will be analysed using a reflexive thematic approach and will involve input from the research and advisory team. Working with clinicians, commissioners, and PPI representatives we will co-produce a list of recommendations for discharge communication from specialist palliative care. DISCUSSION: Data collection may be limited by the need to be sensitive to participants' wellbeing needs. Study findings will be shared through academic publications and presentations. We will draft principles for how specialist palliative care clinicians can best communicate discharge with patients, carers, and primary care clinicians. These will be shared with clinicians, policy makers, commissioners, and PPI representatives and key stakeholders and organisations (e.g. Hospice UK) and on social media. Key outputs will be recommendations for a specialist palliative care discharge proforma. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Registered in ISRCTN Registry on 29.12.2023 ref: ISRCTN18098027.

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BACKGROUND: Although discharge summaries in patient-friendly language can enhance patient comprehension and satisfaction, they can also increase medical staff workload. Using a large language model, we developed and validated software that generates a patient-friendly discharge summary. METHODS: We developed and tested the software using 100 discharge summary documents, 50 for patients with myocardial infarction and 50 for patients treated in the Department of General Surgery. For each document, three new summaries were generated using three different prompting methods (Zero-shot, One-shot, and Few-shot) and graded using a 5-point Likert Scale regarding factuality, comprehensiveness, usability, ease, and fluency. We compared the effects of different prompting methods and assessed the relationship between input length and output quality. RESULTS: The mean overall scores differed across prompting methods (4.19 ± 0.36 in Few-shot, 4.11 ± 0.36 in One-shot, and 3.73 ± 0.44 in Zero-shot; P < 0.001). Post-hoc analysis indicated that the scores were higher with Few-shot and One-shot prompts than in zero-shot prompts, whereas there was no significant difference between Few-shot and One-shot prompts. The overall proportion of outputs that scored ≥ 4 was 77.0% (95% confidence interval: 68.8-85.3%), 70.0% (95% confidence interval [CI], 61.0-79.0%), and 32.0% (95% CI, 22.9-41.1%) with Few-shot, One-shot, and Zero-shot prompts, respectively. The mean factuality score was 4.19 ± 0.60 with Few-shot, 4.20 ± 0.55 with One-shot, and 3.82 ± 0.57 with Zero-shot prompts. Input length and the overall score showed negative correlations in the Zero-shot (r = -0.437, P < 0.001) and One-shot (r = -0.327, P < 0.001) tests but not in the Few-shot (r = -0.050, P = 0.625) tests. CONCLUSION: Large-language models utilizing Few-shot prompts generally produce acceptable discharge summaries without significant misinformation. Our research highlights the potential of such models in creating patient-friendly discharge summaries for Korean patients to support patient-centered care.

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AIMS: To investigate the ways that nurses engage with referral letters and discharge summaries, and the qualities of these documents they find valuable for safe and effective practice. DESIGN: This study comprised a qualitative, case-study design within a constructivist paradigm using convenience sampling. METHODS: Interviews were conducted with nurses to investigate their practices relating to referral letters and discharge summaries. Data collection also involved nurses' examination and evaluation of a diverse range of 10 referral letters and discharge summaries from medical records at two Australian hospitals through focus-group sessions. The data were transcribed and analysed inductively. RESULTS: In all, 67 nurses participated in interviews or focus groups. Nurses indicated they used referral letters and discharge summaries to inform their work when caring for patients at different times throughout their hospitalisation. These documents assisted them with verbal handovers, to enable them to educate patients about their condition and treatment and to provide a high standard of care. The qualities of referral letters and discharge summaries that they most valued were language and communication, an awareness of audience and clinical knowledge, as well as balancing conciseness with comprehensiveness of information. CONCLUSION: Nurses relied on referral letters and discharge summaries to ensure safe and effective patient care. They used these documents to enhance their verbal handovers, contribute to patient care and to educate the patient about their condition and treatment. They identified several qualities of these documents that assisted them in maintaining patient safety including clarity and conciseness of information. IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PROFESSION AND PATIENT CARE: It is important that referral letters and discharge summaries are written clearly, concisely and comprehensively because nurses use them as key sources of evidence in planning and delivering care, and in communicating with other health professionals in relaying goals of care and implementing treatment plans. IMPACT: Nurses reported that they regularly used referral letters and discharge summaries as valuable sources of evidence throughout their patients' hospitalisation. The qualities of these documents which they most valued were language and communication styles, awareness of audience and clinical knowledge, as well as balancing conciseness with comprehensiveness of information. This research has important impact on the patient experience in relation to encouraging effective referral letter and discharge summary writing. REPORTING METHOD: We have adhered to the relevant EQUATOR guidelines through the SRQR reporting method. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: No patient or public contribution.

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ABSTRACT Objective: To map the evidence on self-care guidelines for patients in the post-hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) period. Method: Scoping review supported by Joanna Briggs Institute recommendations, with searches conducted between March and April 2022 in national and international databases and repositories of theses and dissertations. Results: Of the 11 studies that composed the final sample, the guidelines had a social and personal aspect, as post-transplant patients need to follow numerous essential recommendations for the prevention of infections and complications for successful treatment and improved quality of life. Conclusion: Knowing the self-care guidelines that must be performed by post-HSCT patients is fundamental for the nursing team to provide the necessary information for care outside the controlled environment of the hospital, in addition to minimizing episodes of infection, death, and increasing the survival and quality of life of transplant recipients.

RESUMEN Objetivo: mapear las evidencias sobre las orientaciones realizadas para el autocuidado de pacientes en el post-trasplante de células madre hematopoyéticas (TCTH). Método: Scoping Review apoyada en las recomendaciones del Instituto Joanna Briggs, con búsquedas entre marzo y abril de 2022 en bases de datos y repositorios de tesis y disertaciones nacionales e internacionales. Resultados: de los 11 estudios que compusieron la muestra final, las orientaciones tenían un carácter social y personal, ya que el paciente en el post-trasplante necesita seguir numerosas recomendaciones imprescindibles para la prevención de infecciones y complicaciones para el éxito del tratamiento y la mejora de la calidad de vida. Conclusión: Conocer las orientaciones para el autocuidado que deben ser realizadas por pacientes en el post-TCTH es fundamental para que el equipo de enfermería proporcione la información necesaria para los cuidados fuera del contexto controlado del ambiente hospitalario, además de minimizar los episodios de infección, muerte y aumentar la sobrevida y calidad de vida de los transplantados.

RESUMO Objetivo: mapear as evidências sobre as orientações realizadas para o autocuidado de pacientes no pós-transplante de células-tronco hematopoéticas (TCTH). Método: Scoping Review apoiada nas recomendações do Joanna Briggs Institute, com buscas entre março e abril de 2022 em bases de dados e repositórios de teses e dissertações nacionais e internacionais. Resultados: dos 11 estudos que compuseram a amostra final, as orientações tinham cunho social e pessoal, visto que o paciente do pós-transplante precisa seguir inúmeras recomendações imprescindíveis para a prevenção de infecções e complicações para o êxito do tratamento e melhoria da qualidade de vida. Conclusão: Conhecer as orientações para o autocuidado que devem ser realizadas por pacientes no pós-TCTH é fundamental para que a equipe de Enfermagem forneça as informações necessárias para os cuidados fora do contexto controlado do ambiente hospitalar, além de minimizar os episódios de infecção, morte e aumentar a sobrevida e qualidade de vida dos transplantados.

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ABSTRACT Objective: to map the scientific evidence on the educational technologies used to teach self-management in hematopoietic stem cell post-transplantation. Method: a scoping review, based on JBI recommendations. The searches took place between January and February 2022, in databases and repositories of dissertations and theses. The PCC strategy was used, namely: P (Population) - patients (patient participation); C (Concept) - educational technologies and self-management (instructional technology, self-management); and C (Context) - post hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (bone marrow transplantation). Studies that discussed the educational technologies used to teach self-management after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, available in full electronically, were included. Editorials, letters to the editor and opinion articles were excluded. Duplicate studies were considered only once. The data are presented in figures and chart format. Results: sixteen studies were selected to compose the final sample, most of which showed that the most used educational technologies in the context of hospital discharge after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation are websites, software, movies, online videos or not, care plans, posters, books and booklets aimed at teaching. Conclusion: the use of educational technologies in teaching and patient health education is a reality present in services at any level of health care. The highlight of the approach to this topic is anchored in how these technologies are used and whether they are properly defined for each patient, according to the results of this study.

RESUMEN Objetivo: mapear la evidencia científica sobre las tecnologías educativas utilizadas para enseñar el automanejo en el postrasplante de células madre hematopoyéticas. Método: revisión de alcance, basado en las recomendaciones del JBI. Las búsquedas se realizaron entre enero y febrero de 2022, en bases de datos y repositorios de disertaciones y tesis. Se utilizó la estrategia PCC, a saber: P (Población) - pacientes (participación de los pacientes); C (Concepto) - tecnologías educativas y autogestión (tecnología instruccional, autogestión); y C (Contexto): postrasplante de células madre hematopoyéticas (trasplante de médula ósea). Se incluyeron estudios que discutieron las tecnologías educativas utilizadas para enseñar el autocuidado después del trasplante de células madre hematopoyéticas, disponibles en su totalidad electrónicamente. Se excluyeron editoriales, cartas al editor y artículos de opinión. Los estudios duplicados se consideraron una sola vez. Los datos se presentan en formato de tablas y figuras. Resultados: se seleccionaron 16 estudios para componer la muestra final, la mayoría de los cuales mostró que las tecnologías educativas más utilizadas en el contexto del alta hospitalaria después del trasplante de células madre hematopoyéticas son sitios web, software, películas, videos en línea o no, planes de atención, carteles, libros y folletos destinados a la enseñanza. Conclusión: el uso de tecnologías educativas en la enseñanza y educación en salud del paciente es una realidad presente en los servicios de cualquier nivel de atención a la salud. Lo más destacado del abordaje de este tema está anclado en cómo se utilizan estas tecnologías y si están bien definidas para cada paciente, según los resultados de este estudio.

RESUMO Objetivo: mapear as evidências científicas sobre as tecnologias educacionais utilizadas para o ensino da autogestão no pós-transplante de células-tronco hematopoéticas. Método: scoping review, apoiada nas recomendações do JBI. As buscas ocorreram entre janeiro e fevereiro de 2022, em bases de dados e repositórios de dissertações e teses. Utilizou-se a estratégia PCC, a saber: P (População) - pacientes (participação do paciente); C (Conceito) - tecnologias educacionais e autogestão (tecnologia instrucional, autogerenciamento); e C (Contexto) - pós-transplante de células-tronco (transplante de medula óssea). Foram incluídos estudos que discutissem sobre as tecnologias educacionais utilizadas para o ensino da autogestão no pós-transplante de células-tronco hematopoéticas, disponíveis na íntegra em meio eletrônico. Foram excluídos editoriais, cartas ao editor e artigos de opinião. Os estudos duplicados foram considerados apenas uma vez. Os dados estão apresentados em formato de figuras e quadro. Resultados: foram selecionados 16 estudos para compor a amostra final, dentre os quais, em sua maioria, evidenciaram que as tecnologias educacionais mais utilizadas no contexto de alta hospitalar no pós-transplante de células tronco-hematopoéticas são websites, softwares, filmes, vídeos online ou não, planos de cuidado, cartazes, livros e cartilhas voltados para o ensino. Conclusão: o uso das tecnologias educacionais no ensino e na educação em saúde dos pacientes é uma realidade presente nos serviços em qualquer um dos níveis de atenção à saúde. O ponto de destaque da abordagem a este tema se ancora em como essas tecnologias são utilizadas e se são definidas de forma adequada para cada paciente, conforme resultados deste estudo.

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BACKGROUND: The provision of palliative care is increasing, with many people dying in community-based settings. It is essential that communication is effective if and when patients transition from hospice to community palliative care. Past research has indicated that communication issues are prevalent during hospital discharges, but little is known about hospice discharges. METHODS: An explanatory sequential mixed methods study consisting of a retrospective review of hospice discharge letters, followed by hospice focus groups, to explore patterns in communication of palliative care needs of discharged patients and describe why these patients were being discharged. Discharge letters were extracted for key content information using a standardised form. Letters were then examined for language patterns using a linguistic methodology termed corpus linguistics. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the focus group transcripts. Findings were triangulated to develop an explanatory understanding of discharge communication from hospice care. RESULTS: We sampled 250 discharge letters from five UK hospices whereby patients had been discharged to primary care. Twenty-five staff took part in focus groups. The main reasons for discharge extracted from the letters were symptoms "managed/resolved" (75.2%), and/or the "patient wishes to die/for care at home" (37.2%). Most patients had some form of physical needs documented on the letters (98.4%) but spiritual needs were rarely documented (2.4%). Psychological/emotional needs and social needs were documented in 46.4 and 35.6% of letters respectively. There was sometimes ambiguity in "who" will be following up "what" in the discharge letters, and whether described patients' needs were resolved or ongoing for managing in the community setting. The extent to which patients received a copy of their discharge letter varied. Focus groups conveyed a lack of consensus on what constitutes "complexity" and "complex pain". CONCLUSIONS: The content and structure of discharge letters varied between hospices, although generally focused on physical needs. Our study provides insights into patterns associated with those discharged from hospice, and how policy and guidance in this area may be improved, such as greater consistency of sharing letters with patients. A patient-centred set of hospice-specific discharge letter principles could help improve future practice.

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Purpose: This qualitative study aimed to investigate experiences and perceptions of hospital physicians regarding the discharging process, focusing on information transfer regarding medications. Methods: By purposive sampling three focus groups were formed. To facilitate discussions and maintain consistency, a semi-structured interview guide was used. Discussions were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyze the anonymized data. A confirmatory analysis concluded that the main findings were supported by data. Results: Identified obstacles were divided into three categories with two sub-categories each: Infrastructure; IT-systems currently used are suboptimal and complex. Hospital and primary care use different electronic medical records, complicating matters. The work organization is not helping with time scarcity and lack of continuity. Distinct routines could help create continuity but are not always in place, known, and/or followed. Physician: knowledge and education in the systems is not always provided nor prioritized. Understanding the consequences of not following routines and taking responsibility regarding the medications list is important. Not everyone has the self-reliance or willingness to do so. Patient/next of kin: For patients to provide information on medications used is not always easy when hospitalized. Understanding information provided can be hard, especially when medical jargon is used and there is no one available to provide support. A central theme, "We're only human", encompasses how physicians do their best despite difficult conditions. Conclusion: There are several obstacles in transferring information regarding medications at discharge. Issues regarding infrastructure are seldom possible for the individual physician to influence. However, several issues raised by the participating physicians are possible to act upon. In doing so medication errors in care transitions might decrease and information transfer at discharge might improve.

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BACKGROUND: Electronic discharge communication tools (EDCTs) are increasingly common in pediatric emergency departments (EDs). These tools have been shown to improve patient-centered communication, support postdischarge care at home, and reduce unnecessary return visits to the ED. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to map and assess the evidence base for EDCTs used in pediatric EDs according to their functionalities, intended purpose, implementation context features, and outcomes. METHODS: A systematic review was conducted following PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) procedures for identification, screening, and eligibility. A total of 7 databases (EBSCO, MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, EMBASE Scopus, and Web of Science) were searched for studies published between 1989 and 2021. Studies evaluating discharge communication-related outcomes using electronic tools (eg, text messages, videos, and kiosks) in pediatric EDs were included. In all, 2 researchers independently assessed the eligibility. Extracted data related to study identification, methodology, settings and demographics, intervention features, outcome implementation features, and practice, policy, and research implications. The Mixed Method Appraisal Tool was used to assess methodological quality. The synthesis of results involved structured tabulation, vote counting, recoding into common metrics, inductive thematic analysis, descriptive statistics, and heat mapping. RESULTS: In total, 231 full-text articles and abstracts were screened for review inclusion with 49 reports (representing 55 unique tools) included. In all, 70% (26/37) of the studies met at least three of five Mixed Method Appraisal Tool criteria. The most common EDCTs were videos, text messages, kiosks, and phone calls. The time required to use the tools ranged from 120 seconds to 80 minutes. The EDCTs were evaluated for numerous presenting conditions (eg, asthma, fracture, head injury, fever, and otitis media) that required a range of at-home care needs after the ED visit. The most frequently measured outcomes were knowledge acquisition, caregiver and patient beliefs and attitudes, and health service use. Unvalidated self-report measures were typically used for measurement. Health care provider satisfaction or system-level impacts were infrequently measured in studies. The directionality of primary outcomes pointed to positive effects for the primary measure (44/55, 80%) or no significant difference (10/55, 18%). Only one study reported negative findings, with an increase in return visits to the ED after receiving the intervention compared with the control group. CONCLUSIONS: This review is the first to map the broad literature of EDCTs used in pediatric EDs. The findings suggest a promising evidence base, demonstrating that EDCTs have been successfully integrated across clinical contexts and deployed via diverse technological modalities. Although caregiver and patient satisfaction with EDCTs is high, future research should use robust trials using consistent measures of communication quality, clinician experience, cost-effectiveness, and health service use to accumulate evidence regarding these outcomes. TRIAL REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42020157500; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=157500.

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OBJECTIVE: This study tests coverage of SNOMED CT as an expansion source in the process of automated expansion of clinical terms found in discharge summaries. Term expansion is commonly used as a technique in knowledge extraction, query formulation and semantic modelling among other applications. However, characteristics of the sources might affect credibility of outputs, and coverage is one of them. METHOD: We developed an automated method for testing coverage of more than one source at a time. We used several methods to clean our corpus of discharge summaries before we extracted text fragments as candidates for clinical concepts. We then used Unified Medical Language System (UMLS) sources and UMLS REST API to filter concepts from the pool of text fragments. Statistical measures like true positive rate and false negative rate were used to decide on the coverage of the source. We also tested the coverage of the individual SNOMED CT hierarchies using the same methods. RESULTS: Findings suggest that a combination of four terminologies tested (SNOMED CT, NCI, LNC and MSH) achieves over 90% of coverage for term expansion. We also found that the SNOMED CT hierarchies that hold clinically relevant concepts provided 60% of coverage. CONCLUSION: We believe that our findings and the method we developed will be of use to both scientists and practitioners working in the domain of knowledge extraction.

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Background: Discharging intensive care unit (ICU) patients directly home is becoming more common. High-quality ICU discharge summaries are crucial in the transition of patient care. Currently, at Memorial Health University Medical Center (MHUMC), there exists no standardized ICU discharge summary template or consistency when discharge documentation is completed. Investigators evaluated the timeliness and completeness of ICU discharge summaries at MHUMC produced by pediatric residents. Methods: A single-center retrospective chart review of pediatric patients discharged directly from a 10-bed Pediatric ICU to home was conducted. Charts were evaluated pre- and post-intervention. The intervention included the implementation of a standardized ICU discharge template, formal resident training in writing discharge summaries, and a new policy mandating documentation completion within 48 hours of patient discharge. Timeliness was based on documentation completion within 48 hours. Completeness was evaluated on the presence of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations' (JCAHO) recommendations of specific components that should be included in all discharge summaries. Results were reported as proportions, with differences calculated using Fisher's exact and chi-square tests. Patient descriptive characteristics were recorded. Results: Thirty-nine total patients, 13 pre-intervention and 26 post-intervention were included in the study. In the pre-intervention group, 38.5% (5/13) had discharge summaries completed in less than 48 hours from patient discharge compared to 88.5% (23/26) in the post-intervention group (P=.002). Post-intervention discharge documentation was more likely than pre-intervention to contain the discharge diagnosis (100% vs. 69.2%, P=.009) and to provide follow-up care instructions for the outpatient physician (100% vs. 75%, P=.031). Conclusion: Standardizing discharge summary templates and encouraging stricter institutional policies regarding the timely completion of discharge summaries can improve the ICU discharge process. Formal resident training in medical documentation is important and should be incorporated into graduate medical education curricula.

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BACKGROUND: Transitions in care are vulnerable periods in health care that can expose patients to preventable errors due to incomplete or delayed communication between health care providers. Transitioning critically ill patients from intensive care units (ICUs) to other patient care units (PCUs) is particularly risky, due to the high acuity of the patients and the diversity of health care providers involved in their care. Instituting structured documentation to standardize written communication between health care providers during transitions has been identified as a promising means to reduce communication breakdowns. We developed an evidence-informed, computer-enabled, ICU-specific structured tool-an electronic transfer (e-transfer) tool-to facilitate and standardize the composition of written transfer summaries in the ICUs of one Canadian city. The tool consisted of 10 primary sections with a user interface combination of structured, automated, and free-text fields. OBJECTIVE: Our overarching goal is to evaluate whether implementation of our e-transfer tool will improve the completeness and timeliness of transfer summaries and streamline communications between health care providers during high-risk transitions. METHODS: This study is a cluster-specific pre-post trial, with randomized and staggered implementation of the e-transfer tool in four hospitals in Calgary, Alberta. Hospitals (ie, clusters) were allocated randomly to cross over every 2 months from control (ie, dictation only) to intervention (ie, e-transfer tool). Implementation at each site was facilitated with user education, point-of-care support, and audit and feedback. We will compare transfer summaries randomly sampled over 6 months postimplementation to summaries randomly sampled over 6 months preimplementation. The primary outcome will be a binary composite measure of the timeliness and completeness of transfer summaries. Secondary measures will include overall completeness, timeliness, and provider ratings of transfer summaries; hospital and ICU lengths of stay; and post-ICU patient outcomes, including ICU readmission, adverse events, cardiac arrest, rapid response team activation, and mortality. We will use descriptive statistics (ie, medians and means) to describe demographic characteristics. The primary outcome will be compared within each hospital pre- and postimplementation using separate logistic regression models for each hospital, with adjustment for patient characteristics. RESULTS: Participating hospitals were cluster randomized to the intervention between July 2018 and January 2019. Preliminary extraction of ICU patient admission lists was completed in September 2019. We anticipate that evaluation data collection will be completed by early 2021, with first results ready for publication in spring or summer 2021. CONCLUSIONS: This study will report the impact of implementing an evidence-informed, computer-enabled, ICU-specific structured transfer tool on communication and preventable medical errors among patients transferred from the ICU to other hospital care units. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03590002; https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03590002. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/18675.

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BACKGROUND: UK government guidelines and initiatives emphasise equity in delivery of care, shared decision-making, and patient-centred care. This includes sharing information with patients as partners in health decisions and empowering them to manage their health effectively. In the UK, general practitioners (GPs) routinely receive hospital discharge letters; while patients receiving copies of such letters is seen as "good practice" and recommended, it is not standardised. The effects and consequences of whether or not this happens remains unclear. The aim of this study (one of three forming the Discharge Communication Study) was to explore patient perspectives on receiving discharge letters and their views on how this could be improved in order to optimise patient experience and outcomes. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a diverse sample of 50 patients recruited from 17 GP surgeries within the West Midlands, UK. All participants were adults with a recent episode of general hospital inpatient or outpatient care. Data were audio recorded, transcribed and analysed using mixed methods corpus linguistics techniques. RESULTS: Participants reported inconsistent access to discharge letters. Most wanted to receive a copy of their discharge letter although some expressed reservations. Perceived benefits included: increased understanding of their condition and treatment, reduced anxiety, and increased satisfaction. Consequences where participants had not received letters included: letter inaccuracies being overlooked, missed follow up actions, failure to fully remember diagnosis, treatment, or self-management or recommendations, and confusion and anxiety at what occurred and what will happen next. Participants felt the usefulness of receiving copies of letters could be increased by: including a patient information section, avoidance of acronyms, and jargon or technical terms explained with lay language. CONCLUSIONS: Most patients value receiving copies of hospital discharge letters, and should be consistently offered them. Patients' preferences for letter receipt could be logged in their health records. To enable positive outcomes letters should have a clear and accessible format that reflects the priorities and information needs of patients. Patients appear not to be receiving or being offered copies of letters consistently despite UK policies and guidelines supporting this practice; this suggests a need for greater standardisation of practice.

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El alta hospitalaria constituye una transición clave en salud, cuya importancia frecuentemente queda invisibilizada ante el apremio por hospitalizaciones más abreviadas y procesos que por años se han desarrollado de determinada forma. Un alta planificada y/o ejecutada de manera inadecuada puede significar reingresos y repercutir negativamente a nivel del usuario, sus familias y sistemas de atención. Múltiples intervenciones, con distinto nivel de evidencia buscan optimizar el proceso, enfocándose en los equipos, dispositivos y/o usuarios involucrados. Dado que no existe una única estrategia efectiva, el presente artículo recorre aspectos que la literatura ha identificado como relevantes al momento de trabajar por altas planificadas.

Hospital discharge is a key transition health process, whose relevance is often overshadowed by the urgency of shortened hospitalizations and health institutions routines that have been settled for many years. An unplanned and inappropriate discharge can lead to readmissions and negative implications for patients, caregivers and hospitals. Therefore, multiple interventions exist, with different levels of evidence that seek to improve the discharge process by focusing on health teams, institutions and patients. Given there is no single effective strategy, this article covers aspects that several authors have identified as relevant when working on discharge planning.

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Continuity of patient care (COC) is considered an essential feature of good quality care, but the ambiguity of the concept has given rise to methodological challenges in scientific studies. This study has a strong link to the functional definitions of electronic health records (EHR). In order to evaluate how COC is achieved, through a discharge summary, for example, the contents of COC should be defined. Conceptual consensus on COC as a multidimensional concept has increased. This study was conducted to provide an overview of the dimensions and descriptions of informational and management continuity of care. A scoping review was conducted. We found that informational continuity of care refers to data tool, data content, data structures or information quality related processes. Management continuity of care refers to information flow, co-operation, co-ordination, multiprofessionality or management processes. We identified the need to define next the contents of relational and cross-border continuities.

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OBJECTIVE: The health of transgender people is a little studied topic and hospital records can be an opportunity to make an approach. The aim of this study was to describe the cause for admission and the associated comorbidities of transgender people in Spain between 2001 and 2013. METHODS: Retrospective observational study with population-based administrative records (Minimum Basic Data Set). The discharges generated by the transgender in Spanish public and private hospitals were selected using one of the following ICD-9-CM codes in any diagnostic field: Trans-sexualism (302.5), Disorders of psychosexual identity (302.6) and Gender identity disorder in adolescents or adults (302.85). The causes of admission and comorbidity according were described. The qualitative variables were described in their frequency distribution according to their number(n) and proportion(%) and the quantitative variables according to their mean and standard deviation (SD) or median (MD) and interquartile range (RIQ) according to their distribution. RESULTS: A total of 2,010 highs were recorded corresponding to 1,878 patients. The mean age was 33 years (SD = 10). 51% were male, 46% female and 3% undetermined or unspecified. The discharges were motivated in 59% by the process of body modification, followed by HIV (4%) and personality disorders (3%). The most common comorbidities were those associated with body modification (49%), mental health problems (40%) and infectious diseases (15%). CONCLUSIONS: It is necessary to address the health of transgender people in a comprehensive way that takes into account their specific health needs, including bodily modification, mental health, HIV and other infections, through strategies that include improve research, tailor health information systems and develop guidelines and training of healthcare providers in this transgender health.

OBJETIVO: La salud de las personas transexuales es un tema poco estudiado y los registros hospitalarios pueden suponer una oportunidad para hacer una aproximación. El objetivo de este trabajo fue describir el motivo de ingreso hospitalario y las comorbilidades asociadas de las personas transexuales en España entre los años 2001 y 2013. METODOS: Estudio observacional con registros administrativos de base poblacional (Conjunto Mínimo Básico de Datos). Se seleccionaron las altas generadas de los hospitales españoles con alguno de los siguientes códigos CIE-9-MC en cualquier campo diagnóstico: Transexualismo (302.5), Trastorno de identidad sexual en niños (302.6) y Trastornos de identidad sexual en adolescentes o adultos (302.85). Se describieron las causas de ingreso y las comorbilidadades. Las variables cualitativas se describieron en su distribución de frecuencias según su número (n) y proporción (%) y las variables cuantitativas según su media y desviación estándar (DE) o mediana (MD) y rango intercuartíl (RIC) según su distribución. RESULTADOS: Se registraron 2.010 altas correspondientes a 1.878 pacientes. La edad media fue de 33 años (DE = 10). El 51% eran varones, el 46% mujeres y el 3% indeterminado. Los motivos de ingreso más frecuentes fueron los relacionados con proceso de transición (59%), seguido de VIH (4%) y trastornos de la personalidad (3%). Las comorbilidades más frecuentes estuvieron relacionadas con el proceso de transición (49%), los problemas de salud mental (40%) y las enfermedades infecciosas (15%). CONCLUSIONES: Es necesario abordar la salud de las personas trans teniendo en cuenta sus necesidades específicas de salud, entre las que se encuentran la modificación corporal, la salud mental, el VIH y otras infecciones mediante estrategias que incluyan la investigación, la adecuación de los sistemas de información sanitaria, la elaboración de guías de atención y la formación de personal de salud.

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BACKGROUND: Inadequate drug monitoring of drug therapy after hospital discharge facilitates adverse drug events and preventable hospital readmissions. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to analyze the structure and content of drug monitoring advices of a representative sample of discharge letters as a basis for future electronic information systems. METHODS: On 2 days in November 2016, all discharge letters of 3 departments of a university hospital were extracted from the hospital information system. The frequency, content, and structure of drug monitoring advices in discharge letters were investigated and compared with the theoretical monitoring requirements expressed in the corresponding summaries of product characteristics (SmPC). The quality of the drug monitoring advices in the discharge letters was rated with the domains of an adapted systematic instructions for monitoring (SIM) score. RESULTS: In total, 154 discharge letters were analyzed containing 1180 brands (240 active pharmaceutical substances), of which 50.42% (595/1180) could theoretically be amended with a monitoring advice according to the SmPC. In reality, 40 discharge letters (26.0%, 40/154) contained a total of 66 monitoring advices for 57 brands (4.83%, 57/1180), comprising 18 different monitoring parameters. Drug monitoring advices only addressed mean 1.9 (SD 0.8) of the 7 domains of the SIM score and frequently did not address reasons for monitoring (86%, 57/66), the timing of monitoring, that is, the start (76%, 50/66), the frequency (94%, 63/66), the stop (95%, 63/66), and how to react (83%, 55/66). CONCLUSIONS: Drug monitoring advices were mostly absent in discharge letters and a gold standard for appropriate drug monitoring advices was lacking. Hence, more effort should be put in the development of tools that facilitate easy presentation of clinically meaningful drug monitoring advices at the point of care.

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Inaccurate or missing medication information in medical discharge summaries is a widespread and intractable problem. This study evaluated the effectiveness and sustainability of an intervention in which ward-based hospital pharmacists reviewed, contributed and verified medication information in electronic discharge summaries (EDSs) in collaboration with physicians. Retrospective audits of randomly selected EDSs were conducted on seven wards at a major public hospital before and after implementation of the intervention and repeated two years later on four wards where the intervention was incorporated into usual pharmacist care. EDSs for 265 patients (prescribed a median of nine discharge medications) were assessed across the three time points. Pharmacists verified the EDSs for 47% patients in the first post-intervention audit and 68% patients in the second post-intervention audit. Following the intervention, the proportion of patients with one or more clinically significant discharge medication list discrepancy fell from 40/93 (43%) to 14/92 (15%), p < 0.001. The proportion of clinically significant medication changes stated in the EDSs increased from 222/417 (53%) to 296/366 (81%), p < 0.001, and the proportion both stated and explained increased from 206/417 (49%) to 245/366 (67%), p < 0.001. Significant improvements were still evident after two years. Pharmacists spent a median of 5 (range 2-16) minutes per patient contributing to EDSs. Logistics, timing and pharmacist workload were barriers to delivering the intervention. Additional staff resources is needed to enable pharmacists to consistently deliver this effective intervention.

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INTRODUCTION: Medical Records have a large number of abbreviations and doctors and nurses may not be aware of their meaning, which could compromise patient safety. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the knowledge of doctors and nurses of the clinical abbreviations in medical discharge reports. METHODS: Observational-cross sectional study through a questionnaire developed ad hoc for doctors and nurses from Hospital Universitario de Fuenlabrada. The content and logical validity of the questionnaire was assessed. The questionnaire was completed anonymously and voluntarily. The questionnaire was also distributed online to the professionals' corporate emails. The questionnaire included sociodemographic variables and 14 abbreviations present in medical discharge reports. The data were obtained from the Electronic Clinical Record. RESULTS: Out of a total of 756 professionals, the questionnaire was answered by 68 doctors and 86 nurses (n=154).The mean age of the professionals was 40.58 years (SD ±7.54), and the mean number of years of professional experience was 17.10s (SD ±7.37). The professionals gave an average percentage of correct answers of 35.84%. Doctors gave 55.94% of the correct answers, and nurses 23.17%. The abbreviations for which the most errors occurred were SNG, NPIM, EEA, RCP, with a success rate of 5.19%, 6.49%, 6.49% and 7.79%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The identification of the abbreviations in medical discharge reports by doctors is superior to that of nursing staff. Overall the knowledge of abbreviations in both professionals is low.

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RATIONALE: One of the key functions of the discharge summary is to convey accurate diagnostic description of patients. Inaccurate or missing diagnoses may result in a false clinical picture, inappropriate management, poor quality of care, and a higher risk of re-admission. While several studies have investigated the presence or absence of diagnoses within discharge summaries, there are very few published studies assessing the accuracy of these diagnoses. The aim of this study was to measure the accuracy of diagnoses recorded in sample summaries, and to determine if it was correlated with the type of diagnoses (eg, "respiratory" diagnoses), the number of diagnoses, or the length of patient stay. METHODS: A prospective cohort study was conducted in three respiratory wards in a large UK NHS Teaching Hospital. We determined the reference list of diagnoses (the closest to the true state of the patient based on consultant knowledge, patient records, and laboratory investigations) for comparison with the diagnoses recorded in a discharge summary. To enable objective comparison, all patient diagnoses were encoded using a standardized terminology (ICD-10). Inaccuracy of the primary diagnosis alone and all diagnoses in discharge summaries was measured and then correlated with type of diseases, number of diagnoses, and length of patient stay. RESULTS: A total of 107 of 110 consecutive discharge summaries were analysed. The mean inaccuracy rate per discharge summary was 55% [95% CI 52 to 58%]. Primary diagnoses were wrong, inaccurate, missing, or mis-recorded as a secondary diagnosis in half the summaries. The inaccuracy rate was correlated with the type of disease but not with number of diagnoses nor length of patient stay. CONCLUSION: Our study showed that diagnoses were not accurately recorded in discharge summaries, highlighting the need to measure and improve discharge summary quality.

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