A Randomized Controlled Trial on the Efficacy of a Hospital Electronic Discharge Communication Tool

An electronic discharge communication tool (e-DCT) was developed to improve the communication between hospital and community doctors for when patients leave the hospital. The efficacy of the tool was evaluated by randomizing 1399 patients, admitted to the medical teaching unit at the Foothills Medical Centre, to either having a hand-written discharge summary or an e-DCT discharge summary prepared for them when they leave the hospital. Patients were called one month and three months after they were discharged from the hospital to get their perspectives on their care during and after their hospital stay. Both hospital doctors and community doctors of the patients were also surveyed to get their experience with hand written and e-DCT discharge summaries.

• Currently being used in all Calgary hospitals
• Particularly effective for patients with complex or long stays in hospitals
• Collaboration between various departments in Calgary hospitals to improve communication and documentation of care
• Six papers have been published

Published Articles
Okoniewska, B.M., Santana, M.J., Holroyd-Leduc, J. et al. The Seamless Transfer-of-Care Protocol: a randomized controlled trial assessing the efficacy of an electronic transfer-of-care communication tool. BMC Health Serv Res 12, 414 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6963-12-414

Santana MJ, Holroyd-Leduc J, Flemons WW, O’Beirne M, White D, Clayden N, Forster AJ, Ghali WA. The seamless transfer of care: a pilot study assessing the usability of an electronic transfer of care communication tool. Am J Med Qual. 2014 Nov-Dec;29(6):476-83. doi: 10.1177/1062860613503982. Epub 2013 Sep 19. PMID: 24052455.

Santana MJ, Holroyd-Leduc J, Southern DA the e-DCT Team, et al. A randomised controlled trial assessing the efficacy of an electronic discharge communication tool for preventing death or hospital readmission. BMJ Quality & Safety 2017;26:993-1003.