Useless here in Cheshire as well. (My personal favourite was one saying "wrist fracture" which was true I would just have appreciated knowing the patient was in ICU, multiple injuries, splenectomy etc.)
On 12 Jul 2012, at 14:19, Mary Hawking wrote:
> Part of the plans for this year include looking at A&E attendances and
> trying to identify whether patients attending A&E are doing so
> inappropriately - and if so, changing the situation (patient education,
> increased access to GP practice - e.g. staying open 24/7 ;-< etc.) [1]
>
> I have been looking through a pile of A&E reports - and the trouble is the
> quality is so poor, it is often impossible to tell whether the attendance
> was appropriate due to the format of the report!
> We occasionally get reports from A&E departments other than the local one:
> from the reports, it looks as though they are using different software or
> templates - but the information content is equally abysmal and also appears
> to be related to activity or billing management rather than communication
> with the GP about patient care.
>
> Does anyone have any examples of A&E reports which provide good quality
> clinically useful communications with enough information to avoid the risks
> I fear from the ones we receive?
> And if you do, could you tell me - off-line if preferred - which hospitals
> use them and the system involved?
>
> [1] I am planning to write to a sample of patients, enclosing a copy of the
> relevant A&E letter with a questionnaire and asking them what actually did
> happen: does anyone have any idea of what size sample I should aim at to get
> significant results?
>
> Mary Hawking
> "thinking - independent thinking - is to humans as swimming is to cats: we
> can do it if we really have to." Mark Earles on Radio 4.
> don't forget patients like Fred!
> http://primaryhealthinfo.wordpress.com/2012/03/11/whats-holding-fred-back/
> EMIS NUG Annual Conference - will you be there?
> www.emisnug.org.uk
> Warwick Conference 5th-7th Sept
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