Improving the patient experience in the Emergency Department Short Stay Unit.
Discharge
Patient centred care
discharge advice
Journal
Australasian emergency care
ISSN: 2588-994X
Titre abrégé: Australas Emerg Care
Pays: Australia
ID NLM: 101727782
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
Dec 2020
Dec 2020
Historique:
received:
05
02
2020
revised:
07
07
2020
accepted:
09
07
2020
pubmed:
9
8
2020
medline:
16
6
2021
entrez:
9
8
2020
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
To explore whether giving patients admitted to the Short Stay Unit (SSU) in the Emergency Department (ED) their medical notes improved patient understanding of key information. A two armed non-blinded randomised controlled trial was performed, with patients enrolled on admission to the SSU from the ED. The intervention was provision of a copy of the patient's medical notes both on admission to SSU and on discharge, together with a plain English statement about their medical condition and a detailed care plan. Control patients were provided with standard care (verbal information). Patients were surveyed in SSU and followed up two weeks post discharge via telephone interview. Treating clinicians, in both the ED and SSU, were surveyed to establish acceptability of the intervention. Two hundred patients were enrolled, with 176 completing the study. The intervention group found the information provided more helpful (p=0.048) and understood their condition and treatment plan better than the control group (p=0.034). All other data points, despite a positive trend towards the intervention, were statistically insignificant. This study suggests that this simple intervention may positively contribute to the patient experience, with no discernible negative effect on the overall delivery of safe and efficient healthcare.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
BACKGROUND
To explore whether giving patients admitted to the Short Stay Unit (SSU) in the Emergency Department (ED) their medical notes improved patient understanding of key information.
METHODS
METHODS
A two armed non-blinded randomised controlled trial was performed, with patients enrolled on admission to the SSU from the ED. The intervention was provision of a copy of the patient's medical notes both on admission to SSU and on discharge, together with a plain English statement about their medical condition and a detailed care plan. Control patients were provided with standard care (verbal information). Patients were surveyed in SSU and followed up two weeks post discharge via telephone interview. Treating clinicians, in both the ED and SSU, were surveyed to establish acceptability of the intervention.
RESULTS
RESULTS
Two hundred patients were enrolled, with 176 completing the study. The intervention group found the information provided more helpful (p=0.048) and understood their condition and treatment plan better than the control group (p=0.034). All other data points, despite a positive trend towards the intervention, were statistically insignificant.
CONCLUSIONS
CONCLUSIONS
This study suggests that this simple intervention may positively contribute to the patient experience, with no discernible negative effect on the overall delivery of safe and efficient healthcare.
Identifiants
pubmed: 32763103
pii: S2588-994X(20)30062-2
doi: 10.1016/j.auec.2020.07.004
pii:
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Randomized Controlled Trial
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
265-271Informations de copyright
Crown Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.