Improving discharge summaries from hospital with a brief recommendation text box – results from a nationwide survey

BACKGROUND: Danish hospital physicians are obliged to mark discharge summaries addressing whether the GP is recommended to follow up the patient, as well as stating suggested follow-up actions in a recommendation text box. AIM: To investigate GPs' experiences with the recommendation text box in discharge summaries. DESIGN & SETTING: A questionnaire was sent to a representative sample of GPs in Denmark in January 2021. METHOD: A questionnaire was prepared for GPs based on background material, focus group interviews, and discussions with GPs and hospital physicians. It was subsequently pilot-tested by fellow researchers and GPs, and revised before the survey. RESULTS: Seventy-two per cent of the GPs surveyed 'totally agree' or 'partly agree' that the recommendation text box is easy to find. In addition, our results show significant differences on how difficult the recommendation box is to find on different software. Sixty-three per cent 'totally agree' or 'partly agree' that the recommendation text box provides brief and precise information about the recommended follow-up. CONCLUSION: GPs generally find that the recommendation text box provides them with brief and precise information about the recommended follow-up. In addition, the software used by the GPs has a significant influence on how the recommendation text box is to find.