Table 2.
Content elements of written sign-outs, by specialty
| Hospitalist | House Staff | Surgery | Pediatrics | OB | Gynecology | P value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Updated within 24 hours of data collection | 164 (99.4) | 143 (96.6) | 59 (92.2) | 34 (94.4) | 29 (96.7) | 10 (71.4) | <0.001 |
| Days since last update, mean (SD) | 0.08 (0.3) | 0.30 (1.2) | 0.58 (1.3) | 0.25 (0.6) | 0.17 (0.5) | 2.21 (3.8) | <0.001 |
| Primary medical doctor | 126 (76.4) | 103 (69.6) | 10 (15.6) | 12 (33.3) | 2 (6.7) | 0 (0.0) | <0.001 |
| Diagnosis | 160 (97.0) | 142 (96.0) | 62 (96.9) | 29 (80.6) | 29 (96.7) | 14 (100.0) | <0.001 |
| Hospital course | 149 (90.3) | 136 (91.9) | 54 (84.4) | 36 (100.0) | 29 (96.7) | 8 (57.1) | <0.001 |
| New events | 80 (48.5) | 103 (69.6) | 47 (73.4) | 25 (69.4) | 19 (63.3) | 7 (50.0) | <0.001 |
| Clinical condition | 90 (54.6) | 88 (59.5) | 22 (34.4) | 26 (72.2) | 18 (60.0) | 8 (57.1) | 0.005 |
| Mental status | 5 (3.0) | 11 (7.4) | 1 (1.6) | 1 (2.8) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | <0.001 |
| Any anticipatory guidance | 11 (6.7) | 58 (39.2) | 4 (6.3) | 14 (38.9) | 1 (3.3) | 0 (0.0) | <0.001 |
| Any task (excludes “nothing to do”) | 28 (17.0) | 44 (29.7) | 14 (21.9) | 2 (5.6) | 0 (0.0) | 2 (14.3) | <0.001 |
OB: Obstetrics