Jonathan
You have my sympathies.
But a system which cannot reliably ensure that the patient's own GP, who has
the responsibility of their care the moment they are discharged from
hospital, is hard-pressed to include what you suggest.
If it's any consolation, the quality of discharge flimsy, intended to be
received by us within a week of discharge, usually includes the following
minimum data set:
Label
Admission date (to the nearest few days)
Best guess about what was wrong
Medication on discharge
Outpatient appointment
If you hold out for anything, hold out for the dictated letter with the
results in, 2 months later, usually done by the next SHO on the rotation!
That, lamentably, is where the Hospital/Primary Care interface is at. Any
suggestions that don't involve dynamite?
Andrew Mowat
-----Original Message-----
From: The list will be of relevance to all trainees including
undergraduates and [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
Jonathan Marrow
Sent: Thursday, February 08, 2001 2:27 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Discharge Letters
Dear all
Years ago I persuaded our Medical Board (of which I was then Chairman) that
A&E would get sent a copy of discharge letter whenever we had referred a
patient for admission. These can relatively easily been sent to the
refrring A&E doc by the same system as many departments notify of missed
xray abnormalities.
That was years ago. Did it happen? No, with occasional honourable
exceptions, it is still only moans and groans which come back. "Think of
the trees" was one excuse. I still see this as the most practical method.
It does need input and maintenance, not just a one-off initiative.
We also learn that things which a committee accepts when they are the
Chairman's idea by no means always happen.
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