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January 8, 2026Journal of Brown Hospital MedicineOpen Access

Bridging Inpatient and Outpatient Care: A Scoping Review on Discharge Summary Documentation Timeliness and Quality

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Key result

Timeliness and quality of discharge summaries significantly impact patient readmission rates.

Authors

NFNinah C. FoadJLJacqueline LippertWLWilliam C. Lippert

Discussion

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Overview

A scoping review explores how discharge summary quality and timeliness affect patient outcomes, suggesting improvement opportunities.

Key Points

  • This review aims to investigate the impact of discharge summary timeliness and quality on patient outcomes.
  • Conducted a structured literature review
  • Used PubMed and Google Scholar for article selection
  • Focused on peer-reviewed articles from 2010 to 2025
  • Included studies examining discharge summary completion time and quality
  • Timely, high-quality discharge summaries enhance communication between care providers.
  • Delays or incomplete summaries correlate with higher readmission rates.
  • Quality of discharge summaries is crucial for ensuring continuity of care.

Study Design

Type

Systematic Review (n=7)

PICO

P
Population
Discharge Summary Documentation (n=7)
O
Primary Outcome
30-day readmission rates and 7-day readmission rates — OR 1.79 (7-day), OR 1.37 (28-day) (null), p=<0.001

Main Result

Effect estimate: OR 1.79 (7-day), OR 1.37 (28-day) (95% CI null)

p-value: p=<0.001

Limitations

  • Limited number of included studies (7)
  • Predominantly observational and single-center studies
  • Limited ability to conduct quantitative effect size assessments

Cite This Study

Foad et al. (2026) conducted a systematic review in Discharge Summary Documentation (n=7). Timeliness and quality of discharge summaries significantly impact patient readmission rates.

synapsesocial.com/papers/69608779fa51ca23bb9809a8https://doi.org/10.56305/001c.151812
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