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The hectic environment of emergency departments often leads to communication problems and the potential for medical errors. In this study from a London ED, researchers addressed the efficacy of possible solutions for specific communication breakdowns.
Based on a formal risk analysis of failures in ED communication (the subject of another study in the same journal; Emerg Med J 2009; 26:653), two areas were chosen for improvement: transfer of information from prehospital personnel to ED personnel and selection of the correct physicians' note format by clerical personnel. Solutions were derived based on input from personnel. Photocopying and scanning the top sheet of the prehospital patient report form into the record (rather than using illegib…