discharge-summary-in-plain-language

# Rewriting a discharge summary for the patient The clinical summary goes to the GP. This is the version the patient reads at home, and it is what decides whether the plan is followed. ## Keep every fact, change every word Expand abbreviations. Replace terminology with the everyday word and put the clinical term in brackets the first time. Never drop a number, a date, a dose or a name. ## The order the patient needs 1. What was wrong, in one sentence. 2. What was done. 3. **What to do now** — medication changes, wound care, what to avoid, and for how long. 4. **What to watch for**, and exactly who to call for each — with the difference between "ring the ward" and "go to A&E" made unmissable. 5. Follow-up: what, when, and who arranges it. ## The line that is always missing Whether they can drive, lift, bathe, or return to work — and when. ## Never Soften a warning sign, omit a medication because it is unchanged, or reword a dose. If the source is ambiguous, mark it for a clinician rather than picking a reading.