Conclusions and findings of included studies by year
| Primary objective | Primary outcome | Conclusions | |
| Kopach et al (2005)7 | Compare the automation of medical discharge notes for in-patients to a current medical documentation system and determine if it is cost-effective. | Incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of $0.331 (in 2003 $C) | Automated documentation system costs more but reduces document completion time. Spending an additional $0.331 per discharge, average time of note completion decreased by 1 day. |
| Colsman et al (2009)8 | Determine the extent to which a hospital information system for patient data supports the creation of a discharge report | Total cost per page per discharge letter in the comparator is €10.71. Total cost per page per letter in the intervention is €9.51. | Creation of discharge letter in an isolated text editor is advantageous for typists but not for physicians. To be beneficial for clinicians, it is necessary to improve user experience and expand imports of medical data. |
| Aanesen et al (2010)9 | Examine the consequences of maintaining an old working procedure when a new technology has been implemented | Dynamic net present value (DNPV) for 5-year implementation of electronic message exchange in hospitals and primary care units is €31.1 million. DNPV for 10-year implementation is €24.6 million. | Greater DNPV for faster implementation of electronic discharge tools |
| Mourad et al (2011)10 | Present the business case for the implementation of an electronic discharge summary | Yearly costs of discharge using current system is $496 400. Cost of a 14-day delay in billing is $107 000–$215 000. | Investing in e-discharge has real-time benefits in the impact on patients, system improvements, qualitative benefits and return on investment |