Ideas That Work: Handy Discharge Instructions

Patients don’t always pay attention to discharge information while they’re recovering in post-op or remember what they were told after they leave the facility. The written instructions they receive are often mixed in with other papers or mistakenly thrown out.

“That’s why we decided to print the post-care directives on the outside of the envelope that contains the discharge documents,” says Judi Crook, RN, of Granite Peaks Endoscopy Center in Sandy, Utah. “We have color-coded envelopes for each type of procedure.”

Ms. Crook says the practice has proved to be an effective way to educate patients about their post-op care plan and next steps, and provides easy access to useful information if they have questions about their recoveries. OSM