Implementing Patient-Oriented Discharge Summaries (PODS): A Multisite Pilot Across Early Adopter Hospitals

Shoshana Hahn-Goldberg; Karen Okrainec; Cynthia Damba; Tai Huynh; Davina Lau; Joanne Maxwell; Ryan McGuire; Lily Yang; Howard B Abrams

doi:10.12927/hcq.2016.24610

Implementing Patient-Oriented Discharge Summaries (PODS): A Multisite Pilot Across Early Adopter Hospitals

Healthc Q. 2016;19(1):42-8. doi: 10.12927/hcq.2016.24610.

Authors

Shoshana Hahn-Goldberg¹, Karen Okrainec², Cynthia Damba³, Tai Huynh⁴, Davina Lau⁵, Joanne Maxwell⁶, Ryan McGuire⁷, Lily Yang⁸, Howard B Abrams⁹

Affiliations

¹ Postdoctoral fellow at OpenLab and a postdoctoral visitor at the School of Health Policy and Management at York University, with interests in operational modelling and patient experience research.
² Clinical associate, General Internal Medicine, University Health Network, is a general internist with experience in disparities and health services research and interests in improving patient experience during transitions of care.
³ Senior planner/epidemiologist at Toronto Central LHIN working on equity, quality, patient experience and mental health and addictions.
⁴ Creative director at OpenLab at the University Health Network.
⁵ With the Office of Patient Experience and Outcomes, Mount Sinai Hospital.
⁶ Project manager, Clinical Adoption, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, as part of the Collaborative Practice team, leads the activities related to improvement and enhancement of the Electronic Health Record with a focus on change management and interprofessional collaboration. Joanne is currently leading the implementation of Holland Bloorview's consumer health portal, connect2care, which allows clients and families online access to their health information and supports their engagement in care.
⁷ Collaborative practice leader at St. Joseph's Health Centre. Ryan leads hospital initiatives aimed at improving the quality of care and patient experience.
⁸ Director of Quality, Patient Safety and Risk at the Bridgepoint Site of the Sinai Health System.
⁹ Executive director of OpenLab at UHN and a staff general internist at University Health Network in Toronto.

PMID: 27133607
DOI: 10.12927/hcq.2016.24610

Abstract

Communication gaps when patients transition from hospital to either home or community can be problematic. Partnership between Toronto Central Local Health Integration Network (TC LHIN) and OpenLab addressed this through the Patient-Oriented Discharge Summaries (PODS) project. From January through March 2015, eight hospital departments across Toronto came together to implement the PODS, a tool previously developed through a co-design process involving patients, caregivers and providers. This paper presents data on how the hospitals came together and the impact of PODS on the patient and provider experience across these hospitals and discusses it implications.

MeSH terms

Caregivers
Hospitals
Humans
Medical Staff, Hospital
Nursing Staff, Hospital
Ontario
Patient Care Planning / organization & administration*
Patient Discharge*
Patients / psychology*
Pilot Projects