Discharge summaries should be sent to patients’ primary care providers within 48 hours of their discharge to ensure continuity of care and enable follow-up by the primary care provider in a timely manner (typically within seven days). Doing so can improve patient satisfaction and reduce hospital readmissions and patient complications.

A good discharge summary should provide relevant information on the patient’s care while in the hospital and describe the next steps for their care, including plans for follow-up appointments, test results to be returned, and other tests required.

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