Research & theory
Electronic exchange of discharge summaries between hospital and municipal care from health personnel's perspectives
Authors:
Line Melby ,
NO
About Line
PhD, Post-doctoral research fellow, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norwegian Centre for Electronic Patient Record Research, MTFS
NO-7489 Trondheim, Norway
Ragnhild Hellesø
NO
About Ragnhild
RN, PhD, Post-doctoral research fellow, University of Oslo,
Institute of Health and Society, Department of Nursing and Health Sciences, P.O. Box 1153 Blindern, NO-0318 Oslo, Norway
Abstract
Introduction: Information and communication technologies (ICT) are seen as potentially powerful tools that may promote integration of care across organisational boundaries. Here we present findings from a study of a Norwegian project where an electronic interdisciplinary discharge summary was implemented to improve communication and information exchange between the municipal care service and the associated hospital.
Objective: To investigate the implications of introduction and use of the electronic discharge summary for health staff, and relate it to the potential for promoting integration of care across the hospital-municipality boundary.
Methods: We conducted semi-structured interviews with 49 health care providers. The material was analysed using a three-step process to identify the main themes and categories.
Findings: The study showed that the electronic discharge summary contributed to changes in health staff's work processes as well as increased legibility of summaries, and enabled municipal care staff to be better prepared for receiving patients, even though the information content mostly remained unaltered and was not always accurate.
Conclusion: Introduction of electronic discharge summaries did not result in a significant increase in integration of care. However, the project was a catalyst for the collaborating participants to address their interaction from new perspectives.
How to Cite:
Melby L, Hellesø R. Electronic exchange of discharge summaries between hospital and municipal care from health personnel's perspectives. International Journal of Integrated Care. 2010;10(2):None. DOI: http://doi.org/10.5334/ijic.527
Published on
21 Apr 2010.
Peer Reviewed
Downloads