2013 Press Releases

A crystal clear project for UCC doctor

17 May 2013
Pictured celebrating their wins at the Crystal Clear MSD Health Literacy Awards were Nicola Cassidy, Avril Dooley, Theresa O’Donovan, Derry McCarthy, UCC's Dr. Bridget Maher, Deirdre Veldon and Alison Healy (Picture Jason Clarke Photography). Dr Maher and the UCC School of Medicine developed a mobile application, Cork Letter-Writing Assessment Scale or CLAS, to help medical students and doctors write hospital discharge letters.

One Cork doctor has been recognised for furthering patient care by developing an app that improves a vital route of communication between patients and hospitals – the discharge letter.

Dr Bridget Maher, UCC School of Medicine has won Best Project in General Practice at the Crystal Clear MSD Health Literacy Awards 2013.

Dr Maher and the School of Medicine developed a mobile application, Cork Letter-Writing Assessment Scale or CLAS, to help medical students and doctors write hospital discharge letters. 

The hospital discharge letter is one of the most important communications in healthcare. Studies show that the quality of hospital discharge letters is frequently sub-optimal. General Practitioners rely on the discharge letter to provide them with the information necessary for safe handover of patient care. This information needs to be accurate, reliable and relevant.

In response to this, UCC School of Medicine developed CLAS to teach medical students how to write discharge letters and to improve their quality. CLAS is a step-by-step portable checklist of content listed in the order it should ideally appear in the letter. A study among medical students found that as a result of using the CLAS app, the quality of discharge letters improved significantly.

The CLAS app is available free to download on iTunes. The app was developed by Cathal Hoare, Computer Science Department, UCC.

Speaking about her win, Dr Bridget Maher, School of Medicine, UCC, said, “It is an honour to be recognised for this work. It means the app will gain national recognition and raise further awareness that the hospital discharge letter is one of the most important communications in healthcare". 

The Information & Support Service and Radiation Oncology Department at CUH won Best Project in a Hospital at the same event for their project, ‘Understanding Radiation Therapy & the Patient Pathway’.

Five winning initiatives in total were selected from nearly 130 entries which had to demonstrate how they addressed the issue of health literacy. Health literacy is a person’s ability to understand and use basic health information, whether they receive it in writing, in person or over the phone. Health literacy also involves a person having the knowledge to understand their options and make informed decisions about their own health.

The other Crystal Clear award winners were: 

Winner - Best Project in a Community or in a Social Setting

The Alzheimer Society of Ireland – ‘Know Your Rights’

Winner - Best Health Promotion Project

The National Poisons Information Centre, Beaumont Hospital – ‘Say No to Poisons’

Winner - Best Health Communication through Journalism

Deirdre Veldon & Nuala Storey, The Irish Times Health + Family – ‘The Mental Health Issue’

 

Further information on health literacy and the Crystal Clear MSD Health Literacy Awards can be found at www.healthliteracy.ie.

University College Cork

Coláiste na hOllscoile Corcaigh

College Road, Cork T12 K8AF

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