Why is the post-discharge period so dangerous for older people?
Dr. Gurwitz: That’s a good question. Most seniors suffer from multiple medical problems, including heart disease, hypertension, diabetes and many others, and they’re often taking several medications when they’re admitted to the hospital and even more after discharge. So during their visit with their primary care physician after discharge, a physician must review a whole list of medications and check for safety problems and side effects. Sometimes the doctor doesn’t receive all the crucial information that’s required, and when this happens, errors or injuries to patients can occur. Debra: Why doesn’t the primary care doctor always get the information? Dr. Gurwitz: Traditionally, the doctor taking care of the patient in the hospital writes a discharge summary and gives a hand-written report to the patient. Or the hospital sends a report to the primary care physician, often by fax or regular mail. In many cases, the discharge summary doesn’t arrive on time or it may even be lost in transi
