Background: One of the challenges in hospital medicine is the care of patients overnight, when the primary team is unavailable, and care is being provided by those who are not as familiar with the patient. This is compounded by the high volume of pages at night. At UNC Rex Hospital, these factors resulted in delays […]

Background: One of the challenges in hospital medicine is the care of patients overnight, when the primary team is unavailable, and care is being provided by those who are not as familiar with the patient. This is compounded by the high volume of pages at night. At UNC Rex Hospital, these factors resulted in delays […]

Background: Discharge summaries assist in the transition from inpatient to outpatient care by communicating key diagnoses, medication changes, and follow-up instructions. Despite use of standard formats for discharge summaries through electronic medical records (EMR), primary care physicians (PCPs) report dissatisfaction with locating important information in discharge summaries. Purpose: The aim of our project was to […]

Background: Discharge summaries assist in the transition from inpatient to outpatient care by communicating key diagnoses, medication changes, and follow-up instructions. Despite use of standard formats for discharge summaries through electronic medical records (EMR), primary care physicians (PCPs) report dissatisfaction with locating important information in discharge summaries. Purpose: The aim of our project was to […]

Background: Digital bedside information displays can alert clinicians about patient safety hazards, but the unintended consequences of these interventions are not well understood. Introducing new digital interventions may have implications for clinician satisfaction with the electronic environment, clinical team communication, and patient-centered care. Toward greater understanding of these unintended consequences, we described the content, form, […]

Background: Studies show that family centered rounds (FCR) improve family satisfaction by involving the families in their children’s care (Pediatrics, 2003).  Medical students consistently find FCR beneficial to families but have differing attitudes regarding benefits to the medical team.  Some concerns raised by the students include longer rounds, decreased bedside teaching, and lack of opportunities […]

Background: Rapid response teams play an important role in the care of clinically deteriorating patients. Variability in team members, setting, and activation criteria creates unique challenges to studying these teams. The complexities and inefficiencies of rapid responses due to their heterogeneity are poorly understood. Here, we explore opportunities for improved rapid response team efficiency using […]

Background: As the racial/ethnic diversity of the US population continues to increase, the proportion of patients with limited English proficiency (LEP) expands. Language barriers can pose as a significant obstacle to receiving high-quality health care and adversely affect the patient experience. Residents commonly encounter patients with LEP in the hospital setting and to a lesser […]

Background: The transition out of the hospital is a vulnerable time for patients and families and is ripe for physician training.  We implemented a discharge curriculum focusing on the competence of a ‘Safe and Effective Discharge (SAFE-D) From the Hospital’.  The primary objective for the SAFE-D innovation was to assess the usefulness of direct observation […]

Background: The discharge process is complex and high-risk. Clear and accurate communication between the physician or Advanced Practice Provider (providers), nurse, and patient are essential to ensure a safe and effective transition of care. Upon literature review, there have not been studies looking at interprofessional communication during the discharge process. Also, our institution (a large […]