Résumé
Objectives: an exhaustive collection of complaint letters is part of a process to improve the quality of care. Emergency departments are among the most at risk regarding complaints. The primary outcomewas to assess the main factors foresting the receipt of a complaint mail. Secondary outcomes included the identification of the riskiest grounds for consultation and seeking corrective action.Material and methods: a monocentric retrospective study about complaint letters from patients treated by the Emergency Department in Nîmes between 2015 and 2019. The analysis focused on the characteristics of complaint letters, the collection of complaints and the reasons for consultation at risk. Main results: 156 letters were analyzed; the overall incidence was 3.6 letters per 10,000 passages. 43.8% of the claims concerned treatment that had a negative impact on the patient.The main reasons for the complaints were the lack of further examinations and subsequent complications; lack of information and waiting time.Conclusion: as part of the management of complaints, the evolution of the incidence and the analysis of complaints must be monitored in order to improve the quality of care and propose corrective measures if indicated.