title: Majority of emergency patients don't understand discharge instructions.
abstract: ED managers, responding to a study that showed more than 75% of patients do not understand their discharge instructions, list several options for improving communications. They include: Have several providers discuss with the patient their condition, treatment, and follow-up instructions. Make sure discharge instructions are written at a fourth-grade reading level or lower. Initiate a project in your department to shorten your discharge instruction forms.
mesh_terms: D032882:Comprehension; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D006801:Humans; D010351:Patient Discharge; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D010359:Patient Readmission