Tobin, A. (Jan 24, 2012). Improve instructions for patients being discharged from Emergency, study urges. The Canadian Free Press. Retrieved from http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/life/style/improve-instructions-for-patients-being-discharged-from-emergency-study-urges-138003733.html.

“Patients who are discharged from a hospital emergency department sometimes have a poor understanding of how they should care for themselves once they get home, says a new review of more than 50 studies. In an article published in January’s Annals of Emergency Medicine, researchers recommend that doctors provide instructions verbally, in writing and with a visual demonstration whenever possible.

“It doesn’t happen as systematically as I would want it to,” said one of the co-authors, Dr. Stephen Porter of the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. In pediatrics, for example, he said a lot of medications come in liquid form. Only a minority of parents can figure out a complex dosing question without help, but doctors don’t necessarily show each patient exactly the dose that needs to be given.”

Read about the article on the Canadian Free Press, or visit the Annals of Emergency Medicine, at http://www.annemergmed.com/article/S0196-0644%2811%2901762-8/fulltext, to see the full article. As this is a subscription resource, contact your institution’s librarian for information on how to access it.