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Electronically screening discharge summaries for adverse medical events.

ABSTRACT: Detecting adverse events is pivotal for measuring and improving medical safety, yet current techniques discourage routine screening. The authors hypothesized that discharge summaries would include information on adverse events, and they developed and evaluated an electronic method for screening medical discharge summaries for adverse events.A cohort study including 424 randomly selected admissions to the medical services of an academic medical center was conducted between January and July 2000. The authors developed a computerized screening tool that searched free-text discharge summaries for trigger words representing possible adverse events.All discharge summaries with a trigger word present underwent chart review by two independent physician reviewers. The presence of adverse events was assessed using structured implicit judgment. A random sample of discharge summaries without trigger words also was reviewed.Fifty-nine percent (251 of 424) of the discharge summaries contained trigger words. Based on discharge summary review, 44.8% (327 of 730) of the alerted trigger words indicated a possible adverse event. After medical record review, the tool detected 131 adverse events. The sensitivity and specificity of the screening tool were 69% and 48%, respectively. The positive predictive value of the tool was 52%.Medical discharge summaries contain information regarding adverse events. Electronic screening of discharge summaries for adverse events using keyword searches is feasible but thus far has poor specificity. Nonetheless, computerized clinical narrative screening methods could potentially offer researchers and quality managers a means to routinely detect adverse events.

SUBMITTER: Murff HJ

PROVIDER: S-EPMC181984 | biostudies-literature | 2003 Jul-Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Electronically screening discharge summaries for adverse medical events.

Murff Harvey J HJ Forster Alan J AJ Peterson Josh F JF Fiskio Julie M JM Heiman Heather L HL Bates David W DW

Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association : JAMIA 20030328 4

<h4>Objective</h4>Detecting adverse events is pivotal for measuring and improving medical safety, yet current techniques discourage routine screening. The authors hypothesized that discharge summaries would include information on adverse events, and they developed and evaluated an electronic method for screening medical discharge summaries for adverse events.<h4>Design</h4>A cohort study including 424 randomly selected admissions to the medical services of an academic medical center was conducte ...[more]

PMID: 12668691

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Project description:BackgroundIneffective transitions of care continue to be a source of risk for patients. Although there has been widespread implementation of electronic medical record (EMR) systems, little is currently known about hospitalists' and primary care providers' (PCPs) direct communication preferences at discharge using messaging capabilities in a shared EMR system.ObjectiveWe examined how hospitalists and PCPs with a shared EMR prefer to directly communicate at the time of hospital discharge by identifying preferred modes, information prioritization, challenges, facilitators, and proposed solutions.DesignA sequential, explanatory mixed methods study with surveys and semi-structured interviews.ParticipantsThirty-eight academic hospitalists and 63 PCPs working in outpatient clinics in a single safety net hospital system with a shared EMR.Main approachDescriptive statistics were used to analyze survey responses. Interviews were analyzed using immersion/crystallization and a mixture of inductive and deductive thematic analysis.Key resultsPCPs preferred direct communication at discharge through a message within the EMR while hospitalists preferred a message within the EMR and email. Qualitative results identified key themes related to patient care and direct communication: value of direct communication, safety, social determinants of health, and clinical judgment. Both groups prioritized direct communication for high-risk medications, pending and follow-up studies, and high-risk patients that hospitalists were concerned about. Overall, both hospitalists and PCPs reported that ensuring patient safety, flagging patients with social challenges, and expressing concerns about patients based on clinical judgment were key communication priorities.ConclusionsHospitalists and primary care providers report considerable overlap in preferences for direct communication at the time of hospital discharge through a shared EMR. Specifically, both groups reported similar concerns regarding patient safety and continuity during transitions. Direct messaging within the EMR could enable "closed loop" communication that helps ensure safe transitions of care for high-risk patients.

Project description:Discharge summaries are a vital tool to communicate information from Hospital to Primary Care teams; updating GPs about what happened during an admission, and handing over care detailing any follow up care required. Historically, Discharge Summaries have been posted to hospitals, increasing costs for hospitals, creating administrative work for GP practices receiving the letters, and resulting in some letters being lost or delayed in reaching the GP, with implications for patient safety if follow up requests are not received and acted upon. In an effort to improve patient care, the Clinical Commissioning Group in Surrey drew up a contract with Ashford and St Peter's Foundation Trust, aiming to increase the percentage of discharge summaries sent electronically from the rate of 9% sent within 24 hours, to over 75%. This contract set targets of 50% in May, 65% in June, and 80% in July. Financial penalties would be imposed if targets were not achieved, starting in June 2013. The Trust set up a working group comprising of doctors, IT personnel and ward PAs to devise a multi-pronged solution to achieve this target. The electronic discharge summary system was reviewed and improvements were designed and developed to make the process of signing off letters easier, and transmission of signed off letters became automated rather than requiring manual transmission by ward PAs. Presentations and leaflets to explain the importance of prompt completion and transmission of discharge summaries were given to Doctors to improve compliance using the revised IT system. Figures on transmission rates were automatically emailed to key stakeholders every day (Ward PAs, Divisional Leads) showing performance on each ward. This helped identify areas requiring more intervention. Areas (e.g. Day Surgery) that had not used electronic discharge summaries were engaged with, and persuaded to take part. As a result, transmission rates of Discharge Summaries within 24 hours of patient discharge increased from 9% on May 11th 2013, to 76% by June 29th 2013. This has improved communication with GPs, led to more reliable handover of care, and reduced costs for the Trust (both in processing and postage costs, and by avoiding fines).

Project description:BackgroundAcute kidney injury (AKI) increases the risk of hospital readmission, chronic kidney disease, and death. Therefore, effective communication in discharge summaries is essential for safe transitions of care.ObjectiveThe objectives of this study were to determine the quality of discharge summaries in AKI survivors and identify predictors of higher quality discharge summaries.DesignRetrospective chart review.SettingTertiary care academic center in Ontario, Canada.PatientsWe examined the discharge summary quality of 300 randomly selected adult patients who survived a hospitalization with AKI at our tertiary care hospital, stratified by AKI severity. We included 150 patients each from 2015 to 2016 and 2018 to 2019, before and after introduction of a post-AKI clinic in 2017.MeasurementsWe reviewed charts for 9 elements of AKI care to create a composite score summarizing discharge summary quality.MethodsWe used multivariable logistic regression to identify predictors of discharge summary quality.ResultsThe median discharge summary composite score was 4/9 (interquartile range, 2-6). The least frequently mentioned elements were baseline creatinine (n = 55, 18%), AKI-specific follow-up labs (n = 66, 22%), and medication recommendations (n = 80, 27%). The odds of having a higher quality discharge summary (composite score ≥4/9) was greater for every increase in baseline creatinine of 25 μmol/L (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 1.27; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.03, 1.56), intrarenal etiology (aOR: 2.32; 95% CI: 1.26, 4.27), and increased AKI severity (stage 2 aOR: 2.57; 95% CI: 1.35, 4.91 and stage 3 aOR: 3.36; 95% CI: 1.56, 7.22). There was no association between discharge summary quality and the years before and after introduction of a post-AKI clinic (aOR: 0.77; 95% CI: 0.46, 1.29).LimitationsThe single-center study design limits generalizability.ConclusionsMost discharge summaries are missing key AKI elements, even in patients with severe AKI. These gaps suggest several opportunities exist to improve discharge summary communication following AKI.

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Electronically screening discharge summaries for adverse medical events.

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Electronically screening discharge summaries for adverse medical events.

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