A SIMPLE INTERVENTION FOR IMPROVING TELEPHONE CONTACT OF PATIENTS DISCHARGED FROM THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT

Objective: To determine if emergency department (ED) follow-up contact rates can be improved by confirming a best contact telephone number w ith the patient prior to discharge, Design/Setting: Prospective compar ison of intervention and control groups taken from convenience samples of ED patients from Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh (CHP) and Child ren's Hospital of Wisconsin (CHW), Participants: One hundred eighty-ei ght (188) patients (138 from CHP and 50 from CHW) who had x-rays and l aboratory studies done in the ED were interviewed by the investigators prior to discharge (intervention group) and 305 control patients (256 from CHP, 49 from CHW) identified from ED log books. Intervention: Pr ior to discharging the patient from the ED, the investigators verified and/or corrected the best contact number for a follow-up phone call w ith each intervention patient, Within 24 hours of each visit, a follow -up call was made to each intervention and control patient during one of three time intervals spaced between 8 AM and 10 PM, Results: A tota l of 29 patients, or 15.4%, of the intervention group, gave a telephon e number that differed from the one listed in the patient's medical re cord. Of the CHP group, 93.5% (129/138) of intervention patients and 7 8.5% (201/256) of control patients were successfully contacted (P < 0. 001), Of the CHW group, 96% (48/50) of intervention patients, and 94% (46/49) of control patients were successfully contacted (P = NS), Succ essful contact of control patients was greater in CHW than CHP (46/49 vs 201/256, P = 0.02), Conclusions: A significant proportion of teleph one numbers listed in the ED medical records are incorrect, but the fr equency of inaccuracy may be institution-dependent. Confirming the pat ient's ''best contact'' number can significantly increase the successf ul contact of ED patients.