Emergency Department patient perceptions of privacy and confidentiality

The study objective was to determine if Emergency Department (ED) patients experience breaches of privacy and confidentiality during their ED stay and to determine if the type of room in which the patient is placed affects privacy. We surveyed a convenience sample of ED patients at the conclusion of their ED stay regarding their privacy and confidentiality. Overall, 36% of patients overheard conversations with similar frequencies in walled and curtained rooms. The location of conversations overheard varied depending on the type of patient room, as curtained rooms allowed conversations from adjacent rooms to be overheard and walled rooms allowed more conversations from the hallway or nursing station to be overheard. Patients felt more comfortable giving their history and having physical examinations performed in walled vs. curtained rooms. Inappropriate or unprofessional comments by staff were heard by 1.6% of patients. Health care providers in the ED need to be aware of breaches in confidentiality and privacy, as our patients deserve respect of their privacy and confidentiality during their ED visit.