Implementing Patient-Oriented Discharge Summaries (PODS): A Multisite Pilot Across Early Adopter Hospitals

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Patient Safety
• Healthcare Communication

Background:

• Communication gaps during hospital discharge can negatively impact patient outcomes and continuity of care.
• Effective discharge summaries are crucial for seamless transitions to home or community settings.
• Existing discharge processes often lack patient-centeredness and clear information.

Purpose of the Study:

• To implement and evaluate the impact of the Patient-Oriented Discharge Summaries (PODS) tool.
• To assess the effect of PODS on patient and provider experiences during hospital transitions.
• To understand the collaborative process of implementing PODS across multiple hospital departments.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of the co-designed PODS tool across eight hospital departments in Toronto from January to March 2015.
• Data collection on the implementation process and the impact on patient and provider experiences.
• Analysis of qualitative and quantitative data to assess the effectiveness of PODS.

Main Results:

• Successful implementation of PODS across diverse hospital settings.
• Positive impact on patient understanding of their care plan and follow-up instructions.
• Improved provider satisfaction with the discharge summary process and inter-departmental communication.

Conclusions:

• The Patient-Oriented Discharge Summaries (PODS) tool effectively addresses communication gaps during hospital transitions.
• PODS enhances both patient and provider experiences, leading to improved care coordination.
• Collaborative implementation models are vital for successful adoption of patient-centered healthcare tools.