Assessing the discharge instructing in the emergency department: Patient perspective

Area of Science:

• Emergency Medicine
• Patient Education
• Healthcare Communication

Background:

• Emergency departments (EDs) face high patient volumes and short visit durations.
• Effective patient discharge instructions are vital for self-care and preventing readmissions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of discharge instructions provided by emergency department (ED) personnel.
• To identify areas for improvement in patient communication during ED discharge.

Main Methods:

• A structured questionnaire was administered via phone interview to 132 patients the day after ED discharge.
• Data was collected in November-December 2016 at Peijas Hospital ED, Finland.

Main Results:

• 90% of patients received discharge instructions, primarily concerning medication (75%).
• Patient satisfaction with discharge communication was 45%; 47% felt staff lacked background knowledge.
• 20% lacked opportunities to ask questions, and 41% found sessions too short; 63% could follow instructions well.

Conclusions:

• Enhancing the quality and clarity of ED discharge instructions is necessary.
• Improved patient education can promote self-care, reduce non-compliance, and decrease ED workload from recurring visits and calls.