Suzanne D Bench1, Karina Heelas2, Catherine White3, Peter Griffiths4. 1. Florence Nightingale School of Nursing and Midwifery, King's College, London, England, United Kingdom. Electronic address: suzanne.bench@kcl.ac.uk. 2. King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, England, United Kingdom. 3. Booklet and Information Manager, ICUsteps Charity, United Kingdom. 4. R.N. Chair of Health Services Research, School of Health Sciences, University of Southampton, England, United Kingdom.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: This paper reports on the potential value and feasibility of providing patients with a personalised discharge summary of their critical care stay. DESIGN AND METHODS: Fifty-one patient discharge summaries, written by nurses during a randomised controlled trial, were retrospectively analysed for readability, structure and quality. A questionnaire survey completed by trial patients (n=42), their relatives (n=21) and nurses (n=170) explored user experience and feasibility. Quantitative questionnaire data were analysed descriptively and inferentially; qualitative data were subjected to content analysis. RESULTS: Most completed summaries achieved at least an average readability score and were of an acceptable quality. Motivation, time constraints and competing priorities were identified as key barriers to writing an effective summary; however, in the majority of cases, writing them had taken less than 15 minutes. Questionnaire data support that patient discharge summaries can help patients, relatives and ward nurses better understand and patients accept, what happened in critical care. CONCLUSION: Patient discharge summaries are likely to be a useful adjunct to existing discharge information, but further work is required to determine when and how they should be provided. With appropriate training and support, it is feasible for nurses to write discharge summaries in a busy critical care environment.
OBJECTIVES: This paper reports on the potential value and feasibility of providing patients with a personalised discharge summary of their critical care stay. DESIGN AND METHODS: Fifty-one patient discharge summaries, written by nurses during a randomised controlled trial, were retrospectively analysed for readability, structure and quality. A questionnaire survey completed by trial patients (n=42), their relatives (n=21) and nurses (n=170) explored user experience and feasibility. Quantitative questionnaire data were analysed descriptively and inferentially; qualitative data were subjected to content analysis. RESULTS: Most completed summaries achieved at least an average readability score and were of an acceptable quality. Motivation, time constraints and competing priorities were identified as key barriers to writing an effective summary; however, in the majority of cases, writing them had taken less than 15 minutes. Questionnaire data support that patient discharge summaries can help patients, relatives and ward nurses better understand and patients accept, what happened in critical care. CONCLUSION: Patient discharge summaries are likely to be a useful adjunct to existing discharge information, but further work is required to determine when and how they should be provided. With appropriate training and support, it is feasible for nurses to write discharge summaries in a busy critical care environment.
Authors: Denise L Buchner; Sean M Bagshaw; Peter Dodek; Alan J Forster; Robert A Fowler; François Lamontagne; Alexis F Turgeon; Melissa Potestio; Henry T Stelfox Journal: BMJ Open Date: 2015-07-08 Impact factor: 2.692
Authors: Anmol Shahid; Bonnie Sept; Shelly Kupsch; Rebecca Brundin-Mather; Danijela Piskulic; Andrea Soo; Christopher Grant; Jeanna Parsons Leigh; Kirsten M Fiest; Henry T Stelfox Journal: World J Crit Care Med Date: 2022-07-09