CONFLUX JOURNAL
2018 ISSUE
Perceptions on Discharge Instructions by Guatemalan and UVA Community Members and Clinicians
Joemar Priscila Pazos & Vatsal Patel
Abstract
Discharge instructions are a crucial piece to the continuum of care that patients should receive at the end of their time in the hospital and
clinics. Unfortunately, many patients leave the hospital and health clinics with a limited understanding of their time in the medical center and an even worse understanding of what to expect after leaving
the hospital or clinic. This paper looks at the perceptions on the discharge instructions nd post-visitation summaries received from the perspective of patients and clinicians in Guatemala and at the UVA
Health System. Ultimately, it was found that for patients who do not speak the native language, patients and physicians believe discharge
instructions can be improved. Patients and clinicians were
interviewed using qualitative surveys to learn about the current process of delivering post-visit instructions and their effectiveness.