Discharge instructions patients can follow at home
Discharge papers work when a patient knows what to do at home, which signs to watch for and whom to call. Many systems aim for 6th grade. HealthLiteracyCopilot scores each sheet for reading level and for what a patient can act on. It checks doses and steps. A clinician approves each change.
From 2027, patients are asked if they knew what to do at home after an outpatient procedure. The measure is the Information Transfer PRO-PM.
Send a blank template, not a copy with a patient's or member's details.
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The problem
- 78% of emergency-department patients showed gaps in understanding at least one part of their care or discharge instructions (Engel et al., 2009).
- From 2027, patients are asked whether they knew what to do at home, which signs to watch for and whom to call.
- Handout libraries often run to hundreds or thousands of sheets, and Spanish versions fall behind.
What good looks like
- Warning signs as a list, with one number to call, day and night.
- Each medicine with how much, how often and for how long.
- Steps in the order the patient does them.
- Numbers and dates instead of "as tolerated".
- A teach-back check before the patient leaves.
Illustrative sketch of the document.
Before and after
A made-up example.
Before
Resume normal activity as tolerated. Contact your physician if you experience signs of infection.
After
You can walk around the house today. Call us at [phone] if the wound gets red, warm or leaks fluid.
Check one of yours
Paste a blank template. The scan shows its hardest sentences.
Questions
What reading level should discharge instructions be written at?
AMA and NIH guidance recommends 6th to 8th grade for patient materials, and many systems set 6th grade. Reading level is only part of it: PEMAT also checks whether patients can find and act on warning signs and follow-up steps.
Does it work with Epic?
HealthLiteracyCopilot works with the documents you export or write: Word, HTML or text. It does not connect to your EHR. The HLC Guard API lets your IT team call the same checks from other systems.
Does it replace our patient-education library?
No. Libraries license standard handouts. We score and improve the documents your system writes, such as discharge packets, consents and service-line letters.
Sources
- Engel KG et al., "Patient comprehension of emergency department care and instructions," Annals of Emergency Medicine (2009)
- CMS, Hospital Outpatient Quality Reporting Program (Information Transfer PRO-PM) (2026)