[Evaluation of the discharge summary by resident staff physicians. A questionnaire study]

In September 1986, a questionnaire about letters of discharge was sent to 250 house officers in 250 clinical departments in Denmark. Out of these 197 replied to the questionnaire (78%). 32% of the house officers found that an acceptable time for the general practitioner to receive the letter of discharge was 0-3 days after discharge of the patient, while 53% of the house officers found that 4-7 days time was acceptable. 23% of the house officers stated that they had now or previously received formalized teaching about how to write letters of discharge. 44% of the house officers stated that they never received criticism or advice about writing of letters of discharge from their physicians-in-charge. The house officers considered that the most important information in the letter of discharge was, in general: medication on discharge, recommended follow-up treatment apart from medicine, information about possible outpatient visits, pathological findings at operation or biopsy and information about the treatment during hospitalization. 88% of the house officers considered that the letter of discharge was a good form of communication. 29% of the house officers considered that alterations of the work in toto of the letters of discharge were necessary and remarked that this was particularly important as regards early dispatch of letters of discharge to general practitioners. A description of the function of letters of discharge as seen by house officers is attempted in this investigation.