To study the views of General Practitioners on the use of shortened, structured and handwritten discharge letters from a Paediatric Unit.
Design:
A structured questionnaire sent to a 20% sample of the General Practitioners who regularly refer patients to Westmead Hospital.
Setting:
A tertiary level Teaching Hospital and General Practice.
Main outcome measures:
Quantified responses to structured questionnaire.
Results:
Overall satisfaction exists with the structured handwritten letter; the majority of General Practitioners favoured supplying the parents with a copy of the discharge summary.
Conclusion:
Structured hand written notes are acceptable if care is taken with their processing.
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NewtonJ.EcclesM.HutchinsonA. (1992). Communication between general practitioners and consultants: What should their letters contain?BMJ, 304, 821–4.
