Enhancing care: simplified clinic letters

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the content and style of clinic letters written by psychiatrists and to compare these with national guidelines and standards. To then consider the impact that writing directly to patients and carers has on their feeling of inclusion and understanding via a questionnaire. Design/methodology/approach Two audits were completed, the first was carried out in 2012 and the second during 2014 with both being over a three-month period. The first 50 clinic letters sent out during these periods were examined using an audit tool that was developed using national standards from the Department of Health and the Royal College of Psychiatrists. A questionnaire was then devised in 2016 and sent to patients and carers regarding their views on the simplified clinic letters that were written directly to them. Findings In the original audit none of the letters were simplified and written to the patient whereas in the re-audit 66 per cent were simplified. The questionnaire sent out to patients and carers revealed that 50 per cent of patients felt that the simplified letter helped them to feel more included and gave them a better understanding of their care. Originality/value This paper highlights the potentially positive impact of writing simplified clinic letters directly to patients with intellectual disability and their carers. It also includes a clinic letter format designed so that medical information is not lost in the written communication and so that the service’s workload is not impacted on by having to write two separate letters to the patient and to their GP.