Improving discharge summaries from hospital with a brief recommendation text box - results from a nationwide survey.

Background: Danish hospital physicians are obliged to mark the discharge summaries addressing whether the patient's GP is recommended to follow up, as well as to state suggested follow-up actions in a recommendation text box.

Aim: This study aims to investigate the GP's experiences with the recommendation text box.

Design & setting: A questionnaire sent to a representative sample of general practitioners in Denmark.

Method: A questionnaire was prepared for GPs based on background material, focus group interviews and discussions with GPs and hospital physicians. It was subsequently pilot-tested by fellow researchers and GPs and revised prior to the survey.

Results: Almost ¾ of the general practitioners (72%) 'totally or partly agree' that the recommendation text box is easy to find. In addition, our results show significant differences between software used by the GPs. Almost 2/3 (63%) 'totally agree' or 'partly agree' that the recommendation text box provides brief and precise information about the recommended follow-up.

Conclusion: GPs generally find that the recommendation text box provides them with brief and precise information about the recommended follow-up. In addition, the software used by the GPs has a significant influence on how the recommendation text box is presented.