“Sign Right Here and You're Good to Go”: A Content Analysis of Audiotaped Emergency Department Discharge Instructions

摘要: Study objective The goal of this study is to quantitatively and qualitatively assess the quality content verbal discharge instructions at 2 emergency departments (EDs). Methods This was a secondary data analysis 844 ED audiotapes collected during patient–emergency provider communication 1 urban suburban ED. visits nonemergency adult female patients were recorded with digital audiotape. Of visits, 477 (57%) captured audible suitable for analysis. Audiotapes double coded following content: (1) explanation illness, (2) expected course, (3) self-care, (4) medication instructions, (5) symptoms prompting return ED, (6) time-specified follow-up visit, (7) care (8) opportunities questions, (9) patient confirmation understanding. Analysis included descriptive statistics, χ tests, 2-sample t logistic regression models. Results Four hundred seventy-seven 871 (55%) tapes contained instructions. majority discharges conducted by primary (emergency physician or nurse practitioner). Ninety-one percent some opportunity ask although most these minimal. Only 22% providers confirmed patients' understanding Conclusion Verbal are often incomplete, given only minimal questions confirm Please see page 316 Editor's Capsule Summary article.