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Objectives Emergency department (ED) discharge requires conveying critical information in a time-limited and distracting setting. Limited health literacy may put patients at risk of incomplete comprehension, but the relationship between discharge communication needs and health literacy has not been well defined. The goal of this study was to characterize the variation in needs and preferences regarding the ED discharge process by health literacy, and identify novel ideas for process improvement from parents and patients. Methods This was an in-depth qualitative interview study in two EDs using asthma as a model system for health communication. Adult patients and parents of pediatric patients with an asthma exacerbation and planned discharge were enrolled using purposive sampling to balance across literacy groups at each site. Interviews were audiotaped, transcribed, coded independently by two team members, and analyzed using a modified grounded theory approach. Interviews were conducted until thematic saturation was reached in both literacy groups at each site. Results In-depth interviews were completed with 51 participants: 20 adult patients and 31 pediatric parents. The majority of participants identified barriers related to ED providers, such as use of medical terminology; and systems of care, such as absence of protected time for discharge communication. Patients with limited health literacy, but not those with adequate literacy, identified conflicting information between health care sources as a barrier to successful ED discharge. Conclusions Participants across literacy groups and settings identified multiple actionable areas for improvement in the ED discharge process. These included the use of simplified/lay language, increased visual learning and demonstration, and the desire for complete information. Individuals with limited literacy may particularly benefit from increased attention to consistency.

Objective Teach-back may improve communication, but has not been well studied in the emergency setting. The goal of this study was to characterize perceptions of teach-back in the emergency department (ED) by health literacy. Methods We conducted an in-depth interview study the ED discharge process teach-back techniques in two tertiary care centers (adult and pediatric), using asthma as a model system for health communication. Participants were screened for health literacy, and purposive sampling was used to balance the sample between literacy groups. Interviews were conducted until thematic saturation was reached for each literacy group at each site; audiotaped, transcribed, coded, and analyzed using a modified grounded theory approach. Results Fifty-one interviews were completed (31 parents; 20 patients). Across all groups, participants felt that teach-back would help them confirm learning, avoid forgetting key information, and improve doctor-patient communication. Participants with limited health literacy raised concerns about teach-back being condescending, but suggested techniques for introducing the technique to avoid this perception. Conclusion Most participants were supportive of teach-back techniques, but many were concerned about perceived judgment from providers. Practice Implications Future investigations should focus on feasibility and efficacy of teach-back in the ED and using participant generated wording to introduce teach-back

Background Measuring outcomes of emergency care is of key importance, but current metrics, such as 72-hour return visit rates, are subject to ascertainment bias, incentivize over-testing and over-treatment at initial visit, and do not reflect the full burden of disease and morbidity experienced at home following ED care. There is increasing emphasis on including patient-reported outcomes, but the existing patient-reported measures have limited applicability to emergency care. Objective To identify concepts for inclusion in a patient-reported outcome measure for ED care, and assess differences in potential concepts by health literacy. Design/Methods A three-phase qualitative study was completed using freelisting and semi-structured interviewing for concept identification, member checking for concept ranking and cognitive interviewing for question development. Participants were drawn from three tertiary care EDs. Parents of patients (pediatric) or patients (adult) with asthma completed a demographic survey and an assessment of health literacy. Phase 1 participants also completed a freelisting exercise and qualitative interview regarding the definition of success following ED discharge. Phase 2 participants completed a member checking survey based on concepts identified in Phase 1. Phase 3 was a pilot of trial questions based on the highest-ranked concepts from Phase 2. Results Phase 1 enrolled 22 adult patients and 37 parents of pediatric patients. Phase 2 enrolled 41 adult patients and 200 parents. Phase 3 involved 15 parents. Across all demographic / literacy groups, Phase 1 participants reported return to usual activity and lack of asthma symptoms as the most important markers of success. In Phase 2, symptom improvement, medication use and access and asthma knowledge were identified as the most important components of the definition of post-ED discharge success. Phase 3 resulted in 5 questions for the proposed measure. Conclusions A step-wise qualitative process can identify, rank, and formulate questions based on patient-identified concepts for inclusion in a patient-reported outcome measure for ED discharge. The 4 key concepts identified for inclusion: symptom improvement, medication access, correct medication use and asthma knowledge are not measured by existing quality metrics.

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