[Communication between primary and secondary sector and its significance for patient care. Evaluation based on admission records and discharge letters of patients admitted acutely to a department of internal medicine].

The aim of this study was to evaluate the informative content of referrals and discharge summary letters concerning patients admitted acutely to the Department of Internal Medicine in a Danish district hospital, and to estimate the delivery time for discharge summary letters. A total of 132 patients were consecutively enrolled from May 2nd to May 30th 1995. The receiving doctor in the hospital on the day of admission as well as the general practitioner who received the discharge summary letter were asked to complete a specific designed questionnaire. The referrals were often insufficient regarding patient history (in particular data on psychosocial aspects and prescribed medicine) and physical examination. Every fifth referral was never received by the hospital. The delivery time for discharge summary letters was 13 days (0-87 days). In every fifth case the information was needed earlier. The discharge summary letters often lacked information concerning what the patients had been told, prognosis and suggestions concerning social medicine. This study indicates that the collaboration between general practitioners and doctors in hospital can be improved by of enhancing the informative content of referrals and discharge summary letters and the expedition time of discharge summary letters.