Background: By law, patients have prompt access to electronic discharge notes in their charts. Technical language and abbreviations make notes difficult to read and understand for a typical patient. Large language models such as GPT-4 may have the potential to transform these notes into patient-friendly language and format. Our objective was to determine whether GPT-4 [...]

Background: Advance care planning (ACP) is recommended to improve compliance with patient end-of-life wishes and to ensure appropriate use of healthcare resources. However, most American adults have neither living wills nor advance directives. Hospital physicians play a critical role in discussing and executing advance care plans, and stronger doctor-patient relationships may help increase rates of [...]

Background: Trust has long been considered an important element in the doctor-patient relationship, and historically physicians have been considered one of the most trusted professions in the US. However, recent data suggests that patient trust in the healthcare system has eroded. One hypothesized cause of this loss of trust is the breakdown of the doctor-patient [...]

Background: Effective doctor-patient communication is crucial for the exchange of important information. Improved communication can positively influence patient satisfaction, adherence and ultimately can lead to improvement in health outcomes.Patient satisfaction scores in the inpatient setting are elicited using the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey. Effective communication between a physician and [...]

Background: Our experience developing the Comprehensive Care Physician (CCP) program within the Section of Hospital Medicine at the University of Chicago has illustrated the value of relational continuity in the care of patients with complex medical needs. For patients with increased risk of hospitalization and who are willing to find a new primary care physician, [...]

Background: Medical misadventure, defined as unintended harm caused during medical care or procedures, is an increasingly significant concern in patient safety and healthcare quality. Recent decades have seen heightened awareness and reporting of such incidents globally, including in the United States. This study quantifies trends in medical misadventure-related mortality and morbidity by examining regional disparities [...]