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Many different people in various roles may be involved in the discharge of a patient—whether from the emergency department, an office, or a hospital environment—from the nurse or medical assistant reviewing with the patient the medical condition treated, medications, or test results, to the clerical staff making future appointments or scheduling procedures. This chapter covers the basics required for end-of-visit instructions given to the patient. And in cases where the discharge instructions may be lengthier or more complicated, there is an opportunity at the end to offer the use of interpretation services, if needed.
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In particular, social workers deal with a variety of emotionally and culturally sensitive issues involving many psychosocial nuances. As such, social services would be an example of when you should utilize interpretation services. However, particularly in hospital settings, time is often spent waiting for interpretation services to become available. We have supplied questions and phrases in this chapter that you can use as a quick initial needs assessment until you can accomplish a more detailed interview through an interpreter.
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