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Table 3 Summary of hospital respondents and relating discharge letter characteristics

From: What makes a “successful” or “unsuccessful” discharge letter? Hospital clinician and General Practitioner assessments of the quality of discharge letters

Demographics and characteristics

Sample results

Group

Frequency (%)

GP letter grading

Successful

25 (54.3%)

Unsuccessful

21 (45.7%)

Total

46 (100%)

Discharge speciality

None specified

4 (8.7%)

Accident & Emergency

4 (8.7%)

Acute Medicine

5 (10.9%)

Ambulatory care

1 (2.2%)

Cardiology

5 (10.9%)

Cardiothoracic Surgery

2 (4.3%)

Care of the Elderly

2 (4.3%)

Colorectal Surgery

1 (2.2%)

Day Surgery

2 (4.3%)

Ear Nose and Throat

3 (6.5%)

General Medicine

2 (4.3%)

General Surgery

3 (6.5%)

Gynaecology

2 (4.3%)

Pain service

1 (2.2%)

Plastics

1 (2.2%)

Respiratory

1 (2.2%)

Trauma & Orthopaedics

4 (8.7%)

Urology

3 (6.5%)

Total

46 (100.0%)

Gender of hospital respondent

Missing

12 (26.1%)

Female

15 (32.6%)

Male

19 (41.3%)

Total

46 (100.0%)

Age of hospital respondent

Missing

12 (26.1%)

21–30

9 (19.6%)

31–40

10 (21.7%)

41–50

9 (19.6%)

51–60

6 (13.0%)

Total

46 (100.0%)

Role of signing physician

Other

1 (2.2%)

Nurse/ACP

10 (21.7%)

Junior Doctor

9 (19.6%)

Speciality Trainee/ Core Trainee/ Registrar

7 (15.2%)

Consultant

19 (41.3%)

Total

46 (100.0%)

Ethnicity of hospital respondent

Missing

14 (30.4%)

African

2 (4.3%)

Asian

4 (8.7%)

British

5 (10.9%)

White

9 (19.6%)

White British

11 (23.9%)

Irish

1 (2.2%)

Total

46 (100.0%)

Training location of hospital respondent

Internationally

6 (13.0%)

Nationally (UK)

40 (87.0%)

Total

46 (100.0%)

Hospital respondent year qualified

1981–1990

7 (15.2%)

1991–2000

12 (26.1%)

2001–2010

12 (26.1%)

2011–2017

15 (32.6%)

Total

46 (100.0%)

Religion of hospital respondent

Missing

27 (58.7%)

Atheist

3 (6.5%)

Christian

11 (23.9%)

Hindu

3 (6.5%)

Islam

2 (4.3%)

Total

46 (100.0%)