Annals of emergency medicine
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Observational Study
Patients' Comprehension of Their Emergency Department Encounter: A Pilot Study Using Physician Observers.
The current study examines patients' comprehension of their emergency department (ED) encounter, using physician observers to document both physician communication and details of the encounter. ⋯ The findings of the current study indicate physicians could improve communication with patients, particularly in regard to care received in the ED. This study also indicates that a large percentage of patients fail to understand information about their ED encounter even when physicians provide it. A primary limitation of the current study is the relatively homogenous physician sample.