An Evaluation of the Content of Pediatric Discharge Summaries

OBJECTIVES: The need for high-quality discharge summaries is critical to ensure safe transitions of care. Deficits may lead to lapses in communication and poor outcomes. In this study, we sought to characterize the completeness, accuracy, and quality of pediatric discharge summaries.

METHODS: A retrospective chart review of 200 discharge summaries of patients discharged from the general pediatrics service from July 2016 to October 2017 was conducted. These summaries were audited for 7 elements: admission date, discharge date, discharge diagnosis, medications, immunizations, pending laboratory tests, and follow-up appointments. Accuracy was verified through chart review. Quality of hospital course and patient instructions was evaluated by using a modified validated discharge summary evaluation tool. Additional data collected included medical complexity of the patient and the number of authors. Analysis of variance, χ² tests, and Pearson correlations were used to analyze data.

RESULTS: Discharge diagnosis, medications, and follow-up appointments had the lowest rates of completion and accuracy. The quality of the hospital course and patient instructions was variable, with no statistical significance seen in quality scores on the basis of the number of authors or medical complexity. There were more inaccuracies in discharge medications for patients with baseline chronic conditions than those without chronic conditions (63% vs 35%; P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS: Content and quality of discharge summary documentation are inconsistent and have implications for patient outcomes after discharge. This study highlights areas of opportunity to improve pediatric discharge summaries. Future work should be focused on educational and systems-based interventions to improve documentation.