[The authors respond]

Letters

CJEM 2008;10(6):508

Thank you for your interest in our research and for your insightful comments. Improving patient care and safety are very important goals in the emergency department (ED) and using a form of media, such as a waiting room video, may be an opportunity to do this. Intuitively, one may surmise that educating patients and their families about what happens during an ED visit is an indirect method of meeting these goals. However, our study was not designed or powered to answer these questions specifically and our primary outcome was patient satisfaction. Going to an ED is often an intimidating and confusing experience for patients and families because of their fear of the unexpected. Explaining what to expect seems to be just as, if not more, important to patients than information on actual conditions and helps to alleviate anxiety.1-3

As you observed through your study and our current one,4 ED visits and waiting times really present a unique opportunity to provide educational and instructional material to patients. Although the goal of our study did not answer your specific question, I hope that in the future you and others will consider pursuing the very important questions you raised about patient care and safety improvement through a waiting room video.

Linda Papa, MDCM, MSc

Department of Emergency Medicine

Orlando Regional Medical Center

University of Florida

Orlando, Fla.

David C. Seaberg, MD

Kevin Ferguson, MD

Richard Stair, MD

Bruce Goldfeder, MD

David Meurer, MD

Department of Emergency Medicine

University of Florida

Gainesville, Fla.

Elizabeth Rees, BSc

College of Medicine

University of Florida

Gainesville, Fla.

References

1. Pager CK. Randomised controlled trial of preoperative information to improve satisfaction with cataract surgery. Br J Ophthalmol 2005;89:10-3.
2. Greimel ER, Gappmayer-Locker E, Girardi FL, et al. Increasing women's knowledge and satisfaction with cervical cancer screening. J Psychosom Obstet Gynaecol 1997;18:273-9.
3. Corbett SW, White PD, Wittlake WA. Benefits of an informational videotape for emergency department patients. Am J Emerg Med 2000;18:67-71.
4. Papa L, Seaberg DC, Rees E, et al. Does a waiting room video about what to expect during an emergency department visit improve patient satisfaction? CJEM 2008;10:347-54.