WP2.11 - Improving prescription of discharge medications for day case surgery patients using electronic patient records system (EPIC); a closed loop audit

Abstract Aim It is important to provide patients who have undergone day surgery with appropriate analgesia, antiemetics, and laxatives. Failure to do this can result in a poor patient experience, patient requests for advice, readmission and morbidity. This study audited our adherence to the GIRFT guidelines for day case discharge prescribing. Methods Data was collected retrospectively on the discharge medications for all patients undergoing elective, day case laparoscopic cholecystectomy and inguinal hernia repair at two district general hospitals in our trust over a five-week period. A pre-populated discharge medication order set was then created on the Trust's electronic health records system (EPIC) to improve adherence to the GIRFT guidelines. Discharge medications were observed over a subsequent four-week period. Results Prior to our intervention, adherence to GIRFT guidelines was poor with 25% of patients only received the correct discharge medications. Following introduction of the pre-populated order set, 83% of patients received the correct discharge medications. Conclusions This audit demonstrates that utilizing electronic systems effectively can improve efficiency, ensure patient safety and enhance patient care.