Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 8, 2026
The Effect of Charging and Discharging Lithium Iron Phosphate-graphite Cells at Different Temperatures on Degradation
Published on: July 18, 2018
Processing of discharge summaries in general practice: a retrospective record review
Rachel Ann Spencer1, Simon Edward Frank Spencer2, Sarah Rodgers3
1NIHR career progression fellow, Division of Primary Care, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham; Academic Primary Care and National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) School for Primary Care Research, and NIHR Greater Manchester Patient Safety Translational Research (PSTR) Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester.
Background:
There is a need for greater understanding of the epidemiology of primary care patient safety in order to generate solutions to prevent future harm.
Aim:
To estimate the rate of failures in processing actions requested in hospital discharge summaries, and to determine factors associated with these failures.
Design And Setting:
The authors undertook a retrospective records review. The study population was emergency admissions for patients aged ≥75 years, drawn from 10 practices in three areas of England.
Method:
One GP researcher reviewed the records for 300 patients after hospital discharge to determine the rate of compliance with actions requested in the discharge summary, and to estimate the rate of associated harm from non-compliance. In cases where GPs documented decision-making contrary to what was requested, these instances did not constitute failures. Data were also collected on time taken to process discharge communications.
Results:
There were failures in processing actions requested in 46% (112/246) of discharge summaries (95% confidence interval [CI] = 39 to 52%). Medications changes were not made in 17% (124/750) of requests (95% CI = 14 to 19%). Tests were not completed for 26% of requests (95% CI = 16 to 35%), and 27% of requested follow-ups were not arranged (95% CI = 20 to 33%). The harm rate associated with these failures was 8%. Increased risk of failure to process test requests was significantly associated with the type of clinical IT system, and male patients.
Conclusion:
Failures occurred in the processing of requested actions in almost half of all discharge summaries, and with all types of action requested. Associated harms were uncommon and most were of moderate severity.
Related Concept Videos
01:31Discharge Summary Forms
Here's a detailed look at the key components and guidelines for preparing a discharge summary:
01:045-Number Summary
In a box plot, the minimum and maximum data values represent the lower and upper whiskers in the graph, and the median is designated as the center of the box in the chart. The first quartile and third...
01:10Review and Preview
Percentiles are a type of fractile that partition data into...
01:13Review and Preview
01:27RC Circuits: Discharging A Capacitor
01:16Characteristics of Practical Op Amps
The ratio of differential gain to the common-mode gain is defined as the common-mode rejection ratio (CMRR). This ratio quantifies the ability of operational amplifiers (op-amps) to reject common-mode...