Background: A hospital discharge summary serves as an important document that outlines the patient’s hospital course, changes made to their medication regimen, and significant studies or events that took place during their stay. Studies have shown that high-quality discharge summaries are instrumental in facilitating safe transitions from the hospital, minimizing adverse events, and reducing hospital […]

Background: Hospital discharge summaries are critical to transitions of care as they are oftentimes the only substantive form of communication that accompanies patients to their next care setting. The lack of interoperability in our healthcare IT ecosystem amplifies the need for discharge summaries to mitigate subsequent duplication of services and increased costs. These documents must […]

Background: Effective discharge education is important to help patients understand their medications and follow up appointments, thereby improving adherence and reducing risk of readmissions. Our institution’s electronic medical record has a standard After Visit Summary (AVS) that is utilized by nursing staff to educate patients on the discharge care plan and then given to patients […]