Driving Advice Documentation in Patient Notes and Discharge Summaries in Cardiology Patients

Background Cardiac conditions can cause sudden symptoms that may impact driving, so the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) imposes restrictions on affected patients or those who have had cardiac procedures. Even though patients must inform DVLA, it is the doctors who are responsible for advising patients about these restrictions. Clinical practice experience and previously published reports show that driving advice was often missing from patient notes and discharge summaries. The quality improvement project (QIP) checked these records to see whether driving advice was documented. Methods A QIP using the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle was conducted with the aim of assessing the documentation of driving advice in cardiology patients’ records and discharge summaries and evaluating whether targeted educational interventions could improve documentation rates. Records from September to December 2025 were retrospectively reviewed, including only patients who reported driving at the time of admission. Following the audit, an educational intervention and a discharge flowchart poster with a QR code linking to the latest DVLA guidance were introduced. The data audit cycle was repeated three times after the initial review, with ongoing educational interventions. Results Initially, 19/33 (57.6%) discharge summaries and 15/33 (45.5%) patient notes included driving restriction advice. After educational interventions, this increased to 15/21 (71.4%) discharge summaries and 11/21 (52.4%) patient notes. Documentation declined after some junior doctors changed, with the second cycle at 14/23 (60.9%) for discharge summaries and 13/23 (56.5%) for patient notes. A repeat of educational interventions led to marked improvement, reaching 24/27 (88.9%) for discharge summaries and 19/27 (74.4%) for patient notes. Conclusions Educational interventions are valuable, but regular reminders should be included, such as discussing driving advice during departmental orientation for new junior doctors. Patients can be engaged by placing posters that prompt them to ask doctors about driving guidance. Additionally, a QIP is recommended to assess the accuracy of driving advice compared with DVLA guidelines.