Article Summary
Desai et al.’s (2021) article deals with the necessity of simplifying discharge instructions due to the frequent non-compliance of patients with them. The authors state that the current ways of providing instructions do not ensure patients’ understanding of thereof; thus, it is necessary to introduce changes so that misinterpretation of instructions is prevented (DeSai et al., 2021). It has been found that the medical comprehension of the population is considerably low (DeSai et al., 2021).
Therefore, the study focuses on examining different discharge practices and evaluating what needs to be done to improve the outcome. The authors found that “a simple one-page intervention can significantly increase discharge understanding through ease of use and accessibility” (Desai et al., 2021, p. 6). The simplified information page was found to be a universal tool that improved the outcomes for all patients regardless of the demographic (DeSai et al., 2021). When patients are properly motivated to read this page, the treatment effectiveness can increase significantly.
Why the Issue Is Important
The outcome of a patient’s treatment depends on many factors, and the patient’s understanding of the discharge instructions is one of the defining aspects of how fast and successful the recovery will be. When discharge instructions are simplified and all the important details are communicated to the patient, they know what to expect from the treatment, such as medication side effects and other possible implications.
Otherwise, as DeSai et al. (2021) state, “Patients who do not have enough information about their discharge plans have decreased treatment compliance, decreased patient safety, increased emergency department (ED) recidivism, and poor satisfaction.” (p. 1). The failure to provide clear instructions to the patient can result in them stressing for completely normal reasons. For example, recently, I had a patient come to the ED due to the urine changing its color to dark orange. This would not have happened if it had been explained to her that the medication Pyridium she had been prescribed could cause this to happen.
Reference
DeSai, C., Janowiak, K., Secheli, B., Phelps, E., McDonald, S., Reed, G., & Blomkalns, A. (2021). Empowering patients: simplifying discharge instructions. BMJ open quality, 10(3), 1-7. Web.