2005 Finalist

Review of timeframes in which discharge letters are posted to general practitioners in general medicine

An improved system for sending patient discharge letters from hospital to GPs has led to better ongoing care for patients.

The Department of General Medicine at Christchurch Hospital provides an acute patient service for 7,500 patients every year. For most of those patients a typed discharge letter is sent to their GP after they leave hospital. The letter provides information for the GP to help them care for the patient.

Normally the letters are sent after the patient notes have been coded. This has meant the letters are often delayed and could take weeks or months to get to the GP.

Under the new system registrars dictated the letters on the ward within three days of sending the patient home.

So far the new system has cut the average time for letters to reach GPs from 37.8 days to 19.5 working days. In addition staff are receiving good feedback on the new system.

Canterbury District Health Board
Contact: Jan Nicholson 03 337-8780
Email: Jan.nicholson@cdhb.govt.nz