Background: The observation unit is frequently a destination for patients with yet undifferentiated conditions.  The goal of the observation stay is to complete a crucial diagnostic test or treatment trial that should help specify the diagnosis, but that is not always the case.  Understanding the frequency of diagnoses that remain unspecified after an observation visit [...]

Background: Over the past 50 years, observation status patients have been cared for in a variety of settings: in the emergency department, on inpatient floors, and in dedicated observation units. At our medical center, inpatient teams have traditionally cared for observation patients on medical wards. Patients were often unaware of their admission status until they [...]