Specialist Clinics Access Policy
Implementation
Assessment Feedback & Discharge Summaries
Meredith Davey, Continuity of Care Projects Manager
May 2014
West Gippsland Healthcare Group
Assessment Feedback and Discharge Summary
Requested Policy Focus
• Communication with referrer about the findings of initial
assessment/ treatment
• Discharge summary sent to referrer and/or other
provider
Baseline Audit of Physiotherapy Services
• Manual audit of 21 records, referred to the service
October/November 2013
• Data illustrates baseline for communication with referrer
regarding assessment and discharge
Baseline audit results for 10.3 and 11.2
n=21
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
Number of records
Communication re
assessment
1
Within 5 days
0
Communication re
discharge
10
Within 5 days
1
West Gippsland Healthcare Group
Assessment Feedback and Discharge Summary
Findings
• Communication regarding assessment findings
occurred rarely
- Often it was not appropriate to respond to
the referral source, however there was no
communication with the GP in these instances
• Discharge communication occurred for 48% of the
clients
- Number of days between discharge and letter
being sent ranged from 0 days - 4 months
West Gippsland Healthcare Group
Assessment Feedback and Discharge Summary
Actions
•
•
•
Development of tools utilising organisational learning
around best practice:
- adoption of template from GP Feedback Project
(identified Best Practice tool adapted to setting)
- development/adaptation of checklist tool for
clinicians to prompt key processes and timeframes
Education for staff around policy requirements
Presentation of tools to other relevant service
managers
Patient Feedback Report
GP Practice: Address:
DATE: 26 /03 /2014
Dear Dr ,
This report is to provide you with information about your patient who has been referred to the
Physiotherapy Department for individual outpatient treatment. I would welcome the opportunity to
discuss the patient with you, or to provide any further information you may require.
Yours sincerely
Patient Details
Referral Details
Name:
Referred to: Physiotherapy
Outpatients
Address:
Referred by:
Date of Birth:
Patient consent has been obtained to share information
Services Provided:
Initial assessment completed on / /2013 by Angela Jacob, Physiotherapist
Assessment declined. Reason:
Unable to contact client to arrange assessment
Outcomes:
Ongoing physiotherapy outpatient treatment
Referral to another service/ program. Program:
Reason:
Management plan and key issues:
Recommendations / requests for GP follow up (if applicable):
None
Further comments / referred on:
A discharge summary will be sent on completion of physiotherapy treatment.
Service Provider details:
Best times to contact: Mon- Fri 8.30am- 5pm
Reason for referral:
Surname:
Given Names:
Date of Birth:
No:
PROGRESS SHEET
Sex:
(AFFIX PATIENT LABEL HERE)
Date
Time
Seen by Name,
Service & Signature
Progress Notes
Physiotherapy outpatients
(Date and sign ALL entries)
Date referral received:
Registered with VINAH: 
Letter and information sent:  or not required
Contacts made:
Assessment booked for:
Letter sent: GP

RAHS

Other
(Target 5 days)
Discharge date:
Discharge plan completed
Letter sent: GP

(Target 5 days)
Goals achieved:
Invoiced: 
RAHS


Other



West Gippsland Healthcare Group
Assessment Feedback and Discharge Summary
Progress to date
• GP Feedback and Clinical Checklist implemented April 2014
• Roll out to other staff occurring now
• Wider education on Access Policy requirements also underway
Challenges
• No previous framework or standardised forms to draw on;
different disciplines have own processes and change is hard
• Meeting discharge summary timelines challenges historical
practices, i.e. blocking out admin time
• Data collection – input into IPM but can’t get reports out, so
lack evidence/feedback; file audits are very time consuming
West Gippsland Healthcare Group
Assessment Feedback and Discharge Summary
Next Steps
• Re-audit practice in June 2014
• Development of standardised care plan to be provided to
both the client and the GP
• Regular audit cycle to be implemented for process control
and to seek opportunities for continuous improvement
• Roll out to other specialist clinics by end of 2014
• West Gippsland Healthcare Group is on track to aligning
with the Access Policy by 1 July 2015