Completion of In-Patients' Illness Summary From within Three Working Days

Abstract

A management system was set up in Department of Medicine with aim to shorten the duration of filling the patients' illness summary form by attending physicians to within three working days. An office was assigned to contact by telephone or meet physicians in charge of the hospitalized patients who had been discharged and requested them to complete the patients' illness summary form provided by Health or Life Assurance Co. Ltd. Within three working days. If the physician was unable to do so, the officer contacted another physician who could either be the chair or physicians belonged to the same Division of the attending physician or other physician within Department of Medicine to fill the summary form in due time. The system was implemented in April 2003 and durations of completing the patients' illness summary form were collected since then until August 2003. A total of 344 medical records were sent to physicians and numbers of patients' illness summary forms that were completely recorded and returned to the officer within 3 and 4-5 working days were written by the attending physicians themselves, the numbers of patients' illness summary forms that were completely recorded within 3 and 4-5 working days were 208 (62.1%) and 55 (16.4%) respectively.
   In conclusion, the implemented system significantly shortened the duration of completing in-patients' illness summary forms. Key factors to the success of this system depended on direct contract, a responsible and assigned officer and good co-operation of all attending physicians in and outside Department of Medicine.