MEASUREMENTS: Pain medications were measured at baseline and discharge; consultations and other services were quantified for the entire admission.
Insight also lacks into the effects of strategies to increase care provider reflections on discharge practices (e.g., use of a standardised feedback form, video reflection, role play or simulation of discharge consultations) [ 52] and regarding the use of teach-back to check the patient's understanding of their medical and medication history [ 63, 78].
Of these cases, there remains some possibility that should these patients be discharged without consultation, they would have ended up returning to the hospital unexpectedly or having delay in treatment.
Since this medical database allows instantaneous retrieval of past diagnostic reports, discharge summaries, consultations and other relevant medical documents or radiographs, the authors were able to retrospectively analyze the diagnostic results, and therapeutic procedures initiated in the ED.
The presence of primary renal disease and comorbid conditions was determined after an in-depth review of the medical records, including the history and physical examination, progress notes, discharge summaries, consultations, and biopsy results.
54 By keeping copies of test results, discharge summaries, consultations and progress notes, and making these available to all of the physicians involved in the diagnostic process, patients and their families can effectively improve the diagnostic process by serving as the fail-safe backup for jobs that rightfully should be performed by their healthcare practices and organisations.
The mean time from discharge to first consultation in the intervention group was 7 days.
At 1, 6 and 12 months after discharge, just before consultation with surgeon, nursing staff gave each patient the SF-36 questionnaire to complete and return by mail.
