Clement, FionaSevick, Laura2017-04-272017-04-2720172017http://hdl.handle.net/11023/3741The transition from acute-care hospitalization to community-based care is a vulnerable period in healthcare delivery due to potential for post-discharge adverse events. This vulnerability has been attributed to the miscommunication between acute and community-based physicians, as current systems do not control for legibility, completeness or timeliness of the discharge summary. One potential approach to bridging this communication gap is the use of electronic discharge communication tools, which can be designed to ensure the consistent and timely transfer of information. Given the limited healthcare budget, the costs and benefits of these tools should be considered prior to large scale implementation. Thus, the goal of this thesis is to establish the cost-effectiveness of electronic discharge communication tools. To achieve this, a systematic review of published literature was conducted (Chapter 2), a prospective economic evaluation of a novel electronic discharge communication tool was completed (Chapter 3), and policy options/considerations were presented (Chapter 4).engUniversity of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.Medicine and SurgeryHealth economicsHealth Services Researchmaster thesis10.11575/PRISM/24847