Improving the Quality of Inpatient Discharge Instructions: An Evaluation and Implementation of Best Practices

The goal of this study was to determine provider characteristics associated with high quality discharge instructions and whether redesigned discharge instructions would lead to improvement in their quality and reduce hospital readmission rates.

Target Audience

Southern Medical Journal (SMJ) is an interdisciplinary, multi-specialty Journal, and articles span the spectrum of medical topics, providing timely, up-to-date information for primary care physicians and specialists alike. The SMJ enables physicians to provide the best possible care to patients in this age of rapidly changing modern medicine. Therefore, the readers of the SMJ are an appropriate target for this article.

Learning Objectives

Little is known about whether improving the quality of written discharge instructions can result in improved readmission rates and whether there are differences in the quality of discharge instructions based on provider and patient characteristics.

The goal of this study was to determine provider characteristics associated with high quality discharge instructions and whether redesigned discharge instructions would lead to improvement in their quality and reduce hospital readmission rates. At the conclusion of the activity, learners should be better prepared to:

  1. Describe the ability of written discharge instructions for inpatients being discharged to reduce readmission risk.
  2. Describe provider and patient characteristics which may affect the quality of written discharge instructions for inpatients.
  3. Discuss the impact of educational interventions and redesign interventions for the discharge instructions template noted in this study.

Additional Information

Partner: 
Southern Medical Association
Course summary
Available credit: 
  • 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
Course opens: 
08/04/2021
Course expires: 
08/03/2022
Rating: 
0

Southern Medical Association (SMA) requires instructors, planners, managers, and all other individuals who are in a position to control the content of this activity to disclose conflicts of interest (COI) with ineligible entities within the last 24 months of the development of this activity. All identified COIs are thoroughly vetted and mitigated prior to the release of the activity. SMA is committed to providing its learners with high quality activities and related materials that promote improvements or quality in healthcare and not a specific proprietary business interest of a commercial interest.

The following individuals, unless otherwise noted, have no relevant financial relationships to disclose.

Manuscript Author(s):

Benjamin A. Rodwin, MD

Victor P. Bilan, MD

Craig G. Gunderson, MD

Naseema B. Merchant, MD

Southern Medical Association/Southern Medical Journal Editorial Staff:

Steven T. Baldwin, MD, SMJ Editor-in-Chief

G. Richard Holt, MD, Interim SMJ Editor-in-Chief

Jennifer S. Price, MA, Managing Editor

Anita McCabe, Copyeditor

Southern Medical Association is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Southern Medical Association designates this Internet Activity (Enduring Material) for a maximum of 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

AAPA: AAPA accepts certificates of participation for educational activities certified for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ from organizations accredited by ACCME or a recognized state medical society.

AANPCP: The American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Program (AANPCP) accepts AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ from organizations accredited by the ACCME.

Healthcare Professionals

For information on applicability and acceptance of continuing education credit for this activity, please consult your professional licensing board. All healthcare professionals who are not MDs or DOs will receive a certificate of participation.

Available Credit

  • 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
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This activity is designed to be completed within the time designated; learners should claim only those credits that reflect the time actually spent in the activity. To successfully earn credit, participants must complete the activity online during the valid credit period noted, following these steps:

  • Read the goals and objectives, accreditation information, and author disclosures.
  • Login in below to access the article in order to study the educational content and references.
  • Online, choose the best answer to each test question. To receive a certificate, you must receive a passing score.
  • Complete the activity evaluation and attestation.