Postdischarge telephone calls yielded inconclusive evidence for decreasing readmissions, emergency department use, or improving patient satisfaction and well-being across 19 reviewed studies.
Systematic Review
Do postdischarge telephone calls improve patient outcomes such as readmission and emergency department use in postdischarge patients?
Current evidence is inconclusive regarding the effectiveness of postdischarge telephone calls for improving patient outcomes, highlighting the need for standardized approaches and higher-quality studies.
This systematic review of the literature assessed the impact of a postdischarge telephone call on patient outcomes. Nineteen articles met inclusion criteria. Data were extracted and an evidence table was developed. The content, timing, and professional placing the call varied across studies. Study strength was low and findings were inconsistent. Measures varied across studies, many sample sizes were small, and studies differed by patient population. Evidence is inconclusive for use of phone calls to decrease readmission, emergency department use, patient satisfaction, scheduled and unscheduled follow-up, and physical and emotional well-being. Among these studies, there was limited support for medication-focused calls by pharmacists but no support for decreasing readmission. Health care providers benefited from feedback but did not need to place the call to realize this benefit. Inpatient nurses were unable to manage the volume of calls. There was no standardized approach to the call, training, or documentation requirements.
Bahr et al. (Thu,) conducted a systematic review in Postdischarge patients. Postdischarge telephone calls was evaluated on Patient outcomes including readmission, emergency department use, patient satisfaction, follow-up, and well-being. Postdischarge telephone calls yielded inconclusive evidence for decreasing readmissions, emergency department use, or improving patient satisfaction and well-being across 19 reviewed studies.