EFFECT OF EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT INFORMATION ON PATIENT SATISFACTION

Study hypothesis: Patient satisfaction with emergency department care is enhanced by information distributed to patients on ED arrival. Participants and setting: A convenience sample of 200 alert, English-speaking, adult ED patients. Design and intervention: ED information was distributed on alternate days to all ED patients. The ED information described ED function and patient evaluation time. Patients not receiving ED information served as controls. A research assistant administered a satisfaction questionnaire to all patients immediately after discharge. Measurements and main results: Patients who received ED information rated their overall satisfaction higher than did the control group (P<.0001). Other items rated significantly higher were physician skill and competence (P=.0112), physician concern and caring (P=.0062), whether the patient would use the same ED again (P<.0001), appropriateness of ED time (P=.01), information received (P<.0001), ability of staff to decrease anxiety (P<.0001), physician's explanation of illness and treatment (P=.0366), and ease and convenience of care (P=.0014). Conclusion: ED information has a significant effect on patients' perceptions of the quality of care and overall satisfaction.