Page 67 - Hospitalists - Risks When You're the Doctor in the House (Part One)

SVMIC Hospitalists - Risks When You’re the Doctor in the House

be brief, focus on critical information to the patient, and primarily

concentrate on what the patient needs to understand to manage
his or her condition after discharge.

Discharge information, both written and verbal, should be

reviewed with the patient/family caregivers with an emphasis
on assessing and ensuring comprehension. When a patient or

caretaker accesses discharge instructions after hospitalization,
the instructions should thoroughly and clearly explain why

the patient was in the hospital, what the patient/caretaker
needs to do once returning home, how to get in touch with the

patient’s doctor in case of a problem or complication, and why
it is essential that the patient or caretaker follow the discharge

instructions.

Teach Back
Teach back is a technique whereby the provider asks the

patient or caregiver to explain the discharge summary or any
other pertinent instruction in the patient’s own words. This

technique permits the provider to identify and correct any
misunderstandings in real time, with the intent of preventing

adverse events related to inadequate comprehension of
discharge information. While the teach-back communication

technique has proven successful in teaching a patient a new
skill (eg, administering insulin or changing a dressing), it has not

been widely studied as a mechanism for reducing readmissions.

Educating and preparing patients/family caregivers to be
adequately knowledgeable and ready to perform care tasks

required after discharge should be, whenever possible, started
prior to the day of discharge. Teach back may be used iteratively,

starting early on in the hospitalization. Such early exposure

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