美国医学协会159jpo.pdfVIP

Opinion

APIECEOFMYTheArtofDischarge

MIND

HelenOuyang,MD,Earlierthisyear,Isatinadimcoffeehousewithaunderstandthem.Inoneprospectiveobservational

MPHfriendassherevealedinfrustrationthatshewenttocohortstudy,of395enrolledinpatients,only59%

ColumbiaUniversityaNewYorkCityhospitalemergencydepartmentforwereabletoaccuratelydescribetheirdiagnosisin

MedicalCenter,New1

lowerabdominalpain.There,aquestionable“mass”inpostdischargeinterviews.Inanotherstudyof140

YorkPresbyterian

Hospital,NewYork,hercolonwasdiscoveredonaCTscan.Afterathree-emergencydepartmentpatients,78%ofpatients

NewYork.dayinpatientadmission,atthetimeofdischarge,shedemonstrateddeficientcomprehensioninatleastone

stilldidn’tknowwhetherthemasswascancerorwhataspectoftheirdischargeinstructions.Perhapsmore

hernextstepsfordiagnosisandtreatmentwouldbe.worrisome,80%ofthetimethislackofunderstanding

Soshespokeupandaskedtospeaktoherphysicianwasnotevenperceivedbythepatient.2

againafterthenursehandedherthedischargeinstruc-Soknowingthis,whyarewephysiciansnotbetter

tionpressingherconfusion,sheaskedquestionsatit?Whyareweunabletoclearlysummarize