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The discharge summary thread is really depressing. It’s our duty as doctors to ensure adequate communication between healthcare providers is completed. We also have a duty to use beds as effectively as possible. If someone can go home, we shouldn’t delay it.
However, if it’s not a surprise last minute discharge, a decent board round would have identified it - possibly the day before - and allowed for timely and non-confrontational team work to get it done.
Have you ever been a medically trained patient or relative waiting for discharge summaries/TTAs? It’s really frustrating.
I’ve also been a PRHO who hated writing discharge summaries as they seemed menial and pointless at the time. But it’s worse being the on call PRHO and having to do somebody else’s because the day team hadn’t done it.
If we put the patient back at the heart of the process - it brings some clarity of thinking back. We can be imaginative with PAs and transcribing pharmacists. And the best teams work with civility in addressing them.
But - and here’s the nub - discharge summaries aren’t going away any time soon. Better we all work together to find a process that works for everyone, especially the patient.
Most doctors these days have two or three degrees. It cannot be beyond our collective talents to sit down with our multidisciplinary colleagues - including managers - and resolve this!
