ER patients often left confused after visits

New York Times, September 17, 2008

A vast majority of emergency room patients are discharged without understanding the treatment they received or how to care for themselves once they get home, according to researchers. The trend could lead to medication errors and serious complications that can send them right back to the hospital, they added. In the study, researchers followed 140 English-speaking patients discharged from emergency departments in two Michigan hospitals and measured their understanding in four areas. The study found that 78% of patients did not understand at least one area and about half did not understand two or more areas.