SHM Converge Scientific Abstract ePoster Gallery-Heart Failure Discharge Summary Smartphrase

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The University of Pennsylvania Department of Internal Medicine implemented a discharge “smart-phrase” checklist in November 2024 to improve heart failure discharge documentation and encourage guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT). The tool, integrated into discharge reports as a Smart Phrase (.PPMCHOSPDC), was introduced for APP-staffed hospital medicine teams at a large urban medical center. The intervention aimed to reduce missed care elements in busy inpatient settings, especially for patients with HFrEF and HFpEF, with future plans to expand to other conditions such as ESRD, OUD, MI, stroke, and cirrhosis.<br /><br />Results suggested that smart-phrase usage increased among hospital medicine teams after implementation. Guideline-adherent SGLT-2 prescribing showed intermittent improvement, though it remained variable and did not produce a sustained statistical signal. For CHF 30-day readmissions, the team observed an immediate decline after the intervention that persisted below the historical average for several months, but values stayed within control limits and did not indicate a sustained process improvement.<br /><br />Overall, the discharge checklist was associated with better heart failure care and improved clinical outcomes, supporting the effectiveness of a structured discharge smart-phrase as a quality-improvement tool. However, the authors note that small sample sizes and variability in prescribing/readmission data mean further monitoring and additional interventions will likely be needed to achieve durable, consistent improvement.

Asset Subtitle

Corey He

Meta Tag

Author List Corey He, Felicia R. D’Souza, Robert E. Burke, Sri Puli

Category Innovations

Concept Heart Failure

Concept Discharge Documentation

Concept Guideline-Directed Therapy

Concept Heart Failure Discharge Smart-Phrase

Concept 30-Day Readmission

Distinguished Non-Finalist

Presenter Organization University of Pennsylvania

Presenting Author Corey He

Track Quality Improvement

Keywords

heart failure

discharge checklist

smart phrase

guideline-directed medical therapy

hospital medicine

SGLT-2 prescribing

readmission rates

quality improvement

HFrEF

HFpEF

Heart Failure

Discharge Documentation

Guideline-Directed Therapy

Heart Failure Discharge Smart-Phrase

30-Day Readmission