243 - Assessing the Efficacy of Post-op Phone Calls on Patient Outcomes and Satisfaction

Description: Clinical Significance
The increase in ambulatory surgical procedures in developing countries is attributed to advancements in surgical and anesthetic techniques, leading to faster recovery, lower complication rates, and enhanced patient satisfaction. Postoperative phone calls are proposed as a strategy to ensure patient safety and quality care by following up on patients' recovery after surgery.

Background
Despite the potential benefits of postoperative phone calls, such as improved patient satisfaction and reduced readmission rates, existing research on their efficacy is inconclusive. Some studies indicate no significant benefits, prompting the need for a comprehensive evaluation of this practice.

Clinical Question
This quality improvement project sought to determine if the implementation of postoperative phone calls led to increased patient experience scores related to communication with nurses, decreased readmission rates and reduce visits to the emergency department?

Description of Evidenced-Based Protocol:
This quality improvement initiative applied evidence-based strategies to evaluate the efficacy of structured postop phone calls following ambulatory surgical procedures. The aim was to assess the intervention's impact on three key metrics: communication with nursing staff, readmission rates, and emergency department visits. Post-intervention data revealed notable improvements in patient experience scores. These findings suggest that timely follow-up calls may enhance patients' perceptions of care quality and continuity. This project reinforces the value of nurse-led follow-up as an evidence-based practice in the surgical setting. It underscores the importance of patient engagement in the post-discharge phase and offers a replicable model for improving perioperative communication outcomes.

Implementation of Evidenced-Based Protocol
We used the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) methodology for this project. Patients aged 18 and older who underwent ambulatory surgical procedures received structured phone calls within 24 to 48 hours post-discharge. Data on communication scores, readmission rates, and emergency department visits were collected and analyzed.

Results
The project utilized databases such as HCAHPS via Press Ganey for patient satisfaction metrics. Our data reveal a slight improvement in Likelihood to Recommend (Top Box Score 84.75% to 87.50%; percentile rank 43-49 to 55-93), Communication with Nurses Top Box Score increased from 89.63% to 100% (percentile rank 10-24 to 46-99), and Facility/Personal Treatment Top Box Score increased from 93.79% to 100% (percentile rank 5-24 to 5 to 99).

Conclusions/Discussion
Our data on Likelihood to Recommend have improved but require continued improvement. Our data may be attributed to the higher surgical volumes during the latter part of a calendar year. As a result, patients may feel they are receiving less individualized care and attention. Our data provides support of the impact of postop phone calls on patient outcomes, related to improved patient satisfaction and reduced healthcare utilization.

Perioperative Nursing Implications
Findings from this project inform best practices for perianesthesia nurses, emphasizing the importance of follow-up communication in enhancing patient care. Future research or projects should explore long-term effects of post-op calls and consider variations in patient demographics to tailor communication strategies effectively.