Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 10, 2025
14:32
Using Visual and Narrative Methods to Achieve Fair Process in Clinical Care
Published on: February 16, 2011
23.7K
Primary Care Physicians' Perspectives on High-Quality Discharge Summaries
Brittany Chatterton1,2, Jennifer Chen3, Eleanor Bimla Schwarz4
1Department of Internal Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, USA. bmchatterton@ucdavis.edu.
Journal of General Internal Medicine
|November 27, 2023
Summary
Primary care physicians need better discharge summaries for effective care transitions. Key improvements include prioritizing action items and clear follow-up for incidental findings to enhance patient care.
Area of Science:
- Healthcare delivery research
- Medical informatics
- Patient safety
Background:
- Effective communication between inpatient and outpatient physicians is crucial for successful care transitions.
- The discharge summary serves as the primary communication tool during these critical periods.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore primary care physicians' (PCPs) perspectives on the characteristics of high-quality discharge summaries.
- To identify areas for improvement in current discharge summary practices to enhance care transitions.
Main Methods:
- Conducted semi-structured individual interviews with PCPs.
- Utilized thematic analysis to interpret qualitative data from interviews.
- Recruited PCPs from multiple health systems in California.
Main Results:
- PCPs expressed frustration with lengthy, irrelevant information in typical discharge summaries.
- Recommendations include starting summaries with action items and clearly identifying incidental findings.
- PCPs emphasized the need for feedback to trainees on crafting concise, relevant summaries.
Conclusions:
- Healthcare systems and training programs must optimize discharge summaries for PCPs.
- Improving discharge summaries is essential for high-quality care and population health outcomes.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:31Discharge Summary Forms
760
The discharge summary is crucial as it enables a smooth transition from a healthcare facility to a patient's home or another care setting. This critical document facilitates seamless continuity of care, ensuring patients receive the necessary support and attention.
Here's a detailed look at the key components and guidelines for preparing a discharge summary:
Here's a detailed look at the key components and guidelines for preparing a discharge summary:
760
01:30Guidelines for Nursing Documentation I
1.1K
Quality documentation and reporting share essential characteristics that ensure they are practical and valuable resources for those who use them. These characteristics are:
Factual:
The following points emphasize the significance of upholding accurate and unbiased documentation in healthcare.
Factual:
The following points emphasize the significance of upholding accurate and unbiased documentation in healthcare.
1.1K
01:21Planning Nursing Care I
4.5K
The planning phase of the nursing process helps nurses set priorities, outline patient-centered goals and expected outcomes, and tailor nursing interventions to align with the aligned care plan. Through the planning phase, the nurse applies critical thinking skills to align and develop interventions according to the patient's needs. It provides continuity of care allowing patients to receive the maximum benefit from treatment. It serves as a pilot plan for allocating individual staff to a...
4.5K
01:18Methods of Documentation I: Source-Oriented Records
1.1K
Source-oriented records, or SOR, are medical record-keeping organized by the data source. The SOR system was first developed in the mid-1900s to organize the growing patient data in hospitals and other healthcare facilities.
In an SOR, each discipline involved in patient care maintains a separate medical record section. This record-keeping method enables easy tracking of patient progress and ensures healthcare staff have access to up-to-date information.
Key Attributes include the following:
In an SOR, each discipline involved in patient care maintains a separate medical record section. This record-keeping method enables easy tracking of patient progress and ensures healthcare staff have access to up-to-date information.
Key Attributes include the following:
1.1K
01:20Introduction to Documentation and Reporting
2.0K
Documentation is the systematic process of formally recording, maintaining, and communicating information.
Nursing documentation records essential information and details regarding a patient's care and treatment in written or electronic form. It is a critical aspect of nursing practice that involves documenting assessments, interventions, outcomes, and other relevant details about a patient's health status.
Documentation maps the patient's health journey by creating a comprehensive...
Nursing documentation records essential information and details regarding a patient's care and treatment in written or electronic form. It is a critical aspect of nursing practice that involves documenting assessments, interventions, outcomes, and other relevant details about a patient's health status.
Documentation maps the patient's health journey by creating a comprehensive...
2.0K
01:11Purpose of Health Records I
1.2K
The vital purpose of health records is to provide a complete and accurate account of a patient's medical history, including communication, diagnostic and therapeutic orders, care planning, research, and quality review.
Here's a breakdown of how health records serve these purposes:
Here's a breakdown of how health records serve these purposes:
1.2K