SHM Converge Scientific Abstract ePoster Gallery-Improving Hospital Discharge With Disappearing Help Text

Pdf Summary

This study evaluated a novel electronic medical record tool called disappearing help text (DHT) to improve hospital discharge instructions, or After Visit Summaries (AVS). Discharge materials are often hard for patients to understand because they may be incomplete, too technical, and written above the recommended reading level. The researchers wanted to know whether DHT could help clinicians create better AVS without making the workflow more cumbersome.<br /><br />Internal medicine residents reviewed a mock COPD hospitalization and created two discharge summaries: one using a standard free-text template and one using a template with DHT prompts. Two physicians assessed the summaries for important discharge elements, and participants completed usability surveys.<br /><br />Results showed that the DHT template improved several aspects of AVS quality and provider experience. It reduced preparation time (8.7 vs. 11.4 minutes, p=0.004), improved readability by lowering the Flesch-Kincaid grade level from 7.3 to 5.9 (p=0.003), and increased Flesch Reading Ease scores from 66 to 71.2 (p=0.01). DHT summaries were also shorter, by an average of 425 words, though this was not statistically significant. Providers preferred DHT for ease of use and guidance on critical content. DHT AVS included more key discharge elements, such as provider contact information, smoking cessation referral, pulmonary rehabilitation instructions, COPD action plan references, and clear guidance on when to call primary care versus go to the emergency department.<br /><br />Overall, the study suggests that DHT can help produce more complete, readable, and patient-friendly discharge instructions while improving provider efficiency and satisfaction.

Asset Subtitle

Kate Tobin

Meta Tag

Author List Christina Koch, Dara Farber, Kate Tobin, Lee-Ann Wagner

Category Research

Concept Disappearing Help Text

Concept After-Visit Summary

Concept Discharge Instruction

Concept Readability

Concept Hospital EMR

Distinguished Non-Finalist

Presenter Organization The Ohio State University / Nationwide Children's Hospital

Presenting Author Kate Tobin

Track Technology in Hospital Medicine

Keywords

disappearing help text

electronic medical record

after visit summaries

hospital discharge instructions

readability improvement

provider efficiency

COPD discharge

usability survey

clinical workflow

patient-friendly instructions

Disappearing Help Text

After-Visit Summary

Discharge Instruction

Readability

Hospital EMR