Chapter 8 138 reason, we developed and used our own peer-reviewed questionnaire using a Likert scale. When focusing on the small subgroup of patients who contacted the department for consultation, those who received patient-tailored information conveyed the impression of an improved level of knowledge. This may indicate that patient-tailored discharge information could have resulted in a lower threshold to actively contact the hospital for consultation. It should be noted, however, that this aspect falls out of the scope of this study and could be included in future studies, for instance, with a specific qualitative research design employing interviews to ensure detailed analysis. Creating personalized discharge information, as reported in the literature,(9) is typically reviewed as too time-consuming for use in a clinical setting, specifically when this is handwritten. The application of this computer tool as evaluated in the current study proved to be both convenient and time-saving, while providing adequate information to patients. Moreover, this procedure has been demonstrated to be a feasible alternative in generating patient-tailored discharge documents and consequently has been now fully implemented in our department. Limitations of the current study include the single center character of the study, the small sample size, and the use of non-validated questionnaires. Also, one may consider the influence of patient relatives who were present during the discharge sessions, in this study 89%. These effects are not evaluated in this study. Future research is warranted to optimize the discharge process. The current personalization of discharge information appears to improve the discharge process. More information is however necessary which could not be derived from the current study. A mixed method study using questionnaires, open-ended questions and interviews could provide more insights concerning gaps in information and the reasons why patients act as they do. This information could be used in an early stage to optimize the discharge information (15).
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