Beyond the Chief Complaint: Our Patients' Worries

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Patient Experience
• Emergency Medicine

Background:

• Emergency departments (EDs) manage acute conditions, but patient concerns may extend beyond immediate medical needs.
• Understanding the full spectrum of patient worries is crucial for comprehensive care.
• Medical students can play a role in uncovering these broader patient concerns.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the primary concerns of patients presenting to an emergency department.
• To investigate whether these concerns align with their chief complaints.
• To assess the utility of a direct inquiry in identifying patient worries.

Main Methods:

• Fourth-year medical students administered a survey to emergency department patients.
• Patients were asked to respond to the question: "What Worries You Most?"
• Responses were collected and analyzed to identify prevalent concerns.

Main Results:

• Patient responses revealed a range of pressing concerns.
• Many identified worries were unrelated to the patients' stated chief complaints.
• The inquiry provided insights into psychosocial and other non-medical issues impacting patients.

Conclusions:

• Directly asking patients about their worries can uncover significant concerns beyond their chief complaints.
• This approach offers valuable insights into the patient experience in the emergency department.
• Medical students can effectively utilize such methods to gain a deeper understanding of patient needs.