Original Article

Discharge Summary Completion Timeliness and the Association of 30-Day Readmission

Authors: Patricia Lewis, APRN, Kathryn Braddock, APRN, Leila Tolaymat, MD, Claire Haga, MD, Melinda Gillis, MEd, Mingyuan Yin, MS, MHA, Nancy Dawson, MD

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to review the association between timeliness to completion of a discharge summary to 30-day readmission to the hospital.

Methods: This was a retrospective chart review of 109 patients discharged from Mayo Clinic Hospital.

Results: Twenty-four of these patients were readmitted within 30 days. The time to completion of discharge summary was categorized for these readmissions to <72 hours: 15 (20%), between 72 hours and 7 days: 2 (11.1%), and >7 days: 7 (43.7%). There was no statistical significance for readmission for discharge summaries completed between 72 hours and 7 days compared with <72 hours (P = 0.44). There was statistical significance correlating readmission within 30 days to the discharge summary completed >7 days compared with <72 hours (P = 0.04).

Conclusions: This study found that discharge summaries completed >7 days have an increased association with 30-day readmission rate.

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