Postoperative Physician Phone Calls as a Method to Decrease Urgent Care and Emergency Department Returns After Ambulatory General Surgery

Massoumi, Roxanne L.; Crain, Nikhil; Zhu, Catherine; Moore, Alexandra; Oland, Gabriel; Ghukasyan, Razmik; Lei, Yang; Ye, Linda; Hadaya, Joseph; Dacey, Michael J.; Schumm, Max A.; Oh, Nicholas; Mederos, Michael A.; Graham, Danielle S.; Aboulian, Armen

doi:10.1177/0003134820964463

Cited by 4 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 17 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Pak et al 29 showed that outpatient clinic utilization was significantly associated with fewer ED visits. Massoumi et al 30 suggested that early postoperative physician phone calls could decrease ED visits. A systematic review from 2013 found that patient education was associated with the greatest reduction of ED visits 31.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Emergency Department Visits After Outpatient Spine Surgery

Durand

Badin

Ortiz-Babilonia

et al. 2022

Spine

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Study Design. A retrospective study. Objective. This study sought to characterize the incidence and timing of postoperative emergency department (ED) visits after common outpatient spinal surgeries performed at ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) and at hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs). Summary of Background Data. Outpatient spine surgery has markedly grown in popularity over the past decade. The incidence of ED visits after outpatient spine surgery is not well established. Methods. This study was a retrospective analysis of a large commercial claims insurance database of patients 65 years old and below. Patients who underwent single-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion, laminectomy, and microdiscectomy were identified. Incidence, timing, and diagnoses associated with ED visits within the postoperative global period (90 d) after surgery were assessed. Results. In total, 202,202 patients received outpatient spine surgery (19.1% in ASC vs. 80.9% in HOPD). Collectively, there were 22,198 ED visits during the 90-day postoperative period. Approximately 9.0% of patients had at least 1 ED visit, and the incidence varied by procedure: anterior cervical discectomy and fusion 9.9%, laminectomy 9.5%, and microdiscectomy 8.5% (P<0.0001). After adjusting for age, sex, and comorbidity index, the odds of at least 1 ED visit were higher among patients who received surgery at HOPD versus ASC for all 3 procedures. The majority (56.1%) ED visits occurred during the first month postoperatively; 30.8% (n=6841) occurred within the first week postoperatively, and 10.7% (n=2370) occurred on the same day as the surgery. Postoperative pain was the most common reason for ED visits. Conclusions. Among commercially insured patients who received outpatient spine surgery, the incidence of ED visits during the 90-day postoperative period was ~9%. Our results indicate opportunities for improved postoperative care planning after outpatient spinal surgery.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Emergency Department Visits After Outpatient Spine Surgery

Durand

Badin

Ortiz-Babilonia

et al. 2022

Spine

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Utility of Postoperative Phone Calls in Reducing Unplanned Health Care Utilization

Panganiban,

Mendez,

Taylor

et al. 2024

Journal of Surgical Research

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Improving patient care in neurosurgery through postoperative telephone calls: a systematic review and lessons from all surgical specialties

Goehner

Kandregula

Birk

et al. 2021

Neurosurgical Focus

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

OBJECTIVE Postoperative telephone calls are a simple intervention that can be used to improve communication with patients, potentially affecting patient safety and satisfaction. Few studies in the neurosurgical literature have examined the effect of a postoperative telephone call on patient outcomes, although several exist across all surgical specialties. The authors performed a systematic review and analyzed studies published since 2000 to assess the effect of a postoperative telephone call or text message on patient safety and satisfaction across all surgical specialties. METHODS A search of PubMed-indexed articles was performed on June 12, 2021, and was narrowed by the inclusion criteria of studies from surgical specialties with > 50 adult patients published after 1999, in which a postoperative telephone call was made and its effects on safety and satisfaction were assessed. Exclusion criteria included dental, medical, and pediatric specialties; systematic reviews; meta-analyses; and non–English-language articles. Dual review was utilized. RESULTS Overall, 24 articles met inclusion criteria. The majority reported an increase in patient satisfaction scores after a postoperative telephone call was implemented, and half of the studies demonstrated an improvement in safety or outcomes. CONCLUSIONS Taken together, these studies demonstrate that implementation of a postoperative telephone call in a neurosurgical practice is a feasible way to enhance patient care. The major limitations of this study were the heterogeneous group of studies and the limited neurosurgery-specific studies.

show abstract

Postoperative Physician Phone Calls as a Method to Decrease Urgent Care and Emergency Department Returns After Ambulatory General Surgery

Cited by 4 publications

References 17 publications

Emergency Department Visits After Outpatient Spine Surgery

Emergency Department Visits After Outpatient Spine Surgery

Utility of Postoperative Phone Calls in Reducing Unplanned Health Care Utilization

Improving patient care in neurosurgery through postoperative telephone calls: a systematic review and lessons from all surgical specialties

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About