Completeness of medication-related information in discharge letters and post-discharge general practitioner overviews.

BACKGROUND: Communication and documentation of medication-related information are needed to improve continuity of care.
OBJECTIVE: To assess the completeness of medication-related information in discharge letters and post-discharge general practitioner (GP)-overviews.
SETTING: A general teaching hospital in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
METHOD: An observational study was performed. Patients from several departments were included after medication reconciliation at hospital discharge. In liaison with the resident and patient, a pharmacy team prepared a Transitional Pharmaceutical Care (TPC)-overview of current medications, including changes and allergies. The resident was instructed to download the TPC-overview into the discharge letter instead of typing a self-made medication list. Medication overviews were gathered from the GP 2 weeks after the handover of the discharge letter. The TPC-overview (gold standard) was compared with the information in the discharge letter and post-discharge GP-overviews regarding correct medications and allergies. Descriptive data analysis was used. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: The number and percentage of complete medication-related information in the discharge letter and the GP-overview were compared to the TPC-overview.
RESULTS: Ninety-nine patients were included. Medication-related information was complete in 62 (63 %) of 99 discharge letters. Sixteen of 99 GP-overviews (16 %) were complete. Communication of medication-related information increased documentation by the GP, but the medication history could still be incomplete, mainly regarding medication changes and allergies.
CONCLUSIONS: Medication-related information is lost in discharge letters and GP-overviews post-discharge despite in-hospital medication reconciliation. This could result in discontinuity of care.