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The Missing Record of Mental Status in Written Sign-Outs.

Croix M, Miller D, Whittle J, Singh S, Schapira MM, Carnahan J, Kuester J, Kallio C, Framberg S, Fletcher KE. The Missing Record of Mental Status in Written Sign-Outs. Journal of Patient Safety. 2019 Dec 1; 15(4):e40-e43.

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Abstract:

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to determine how frequently mental status and mental status changes are documented in the written patient summary ("sign-out") provided to covering physicians. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study of general medical patients hospitalized between March 16, 2009, and March 15, 2010, conducted at 2 teaching hospitals. Participants included patients with mental status change adverse events (MSAEs) and their providers. Chart review was performed to identify patients with MSAEs and details about these events. Sign-outs were reviewed for documentation of mental status. Main outcome measures were (1) proportion of patients with MSAEs who had mental status ever recorded in sign-out entries and (2) the proportion of patients with MSAEs whose change in mental status was recorded in the sign-out. RESULTS: Sixty-eight patients had MSAEs and were included in the sample. Fifty percent of MSAEs were attributed to medications; 75% of these events were first detected by nurses. Only 25% of patients with MSAEs had their change in mental status recorded in sign-outs. CONCLUSIONS: Recording mental status in written sign-outs is uncommon. Particularly concerning is that patients with MSAEs identified by chart review seldom had sign-outs that reflected those events. Interventions should be designed to increase the recording of this information in sign-outs.




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