Most ED patients may not understand care instructions

In continuing coverage from previous editions of Morning Rounds, the New York Times reports on the front page of its Science Times section that "a vast majority of emergency [department] (ED) patients are discharged without understanding the treatment they received, or how to care for themselves once they get home," according to a study published in the Annals of Emergency Medicine. Investigators "followed 140 English-speaking patients discharged from emergency departments in two Michigan hospitals, and measured their understanding in four areas -- their diagnosis, their [emergency department] treatment, instructions for their at-home care, and warning signs of when to return to the hospital." The researchers "found that 78 percent of patients did not understand at least one area, and about half did not understand two or more areas. The greatest confusion surrounded home care -- instructions about things like medications, rest, wound care, and when to have a follow-up visit with a" physician