A TELEPHONE CLINIC – A NOVEL AND EFFECTIVE METHOD FOR PATIENT FOLLOW UP

Abstract

Aim: To evaluate patient satisfaction and the effectiveness of a telephone clinic designed to follow up patients who have received shoulder or elbow surgery.

Method: Following wound checks in the community, patients are followed up in our department at six weeks, then three and six months respectively to assess level of progress and answer any questions patients may have. As outcome measures are already assessed by physiotherapists, a telephone clinic was devised to make better use of Consultant time. Patients were contacted by telephone at a pre-determined time by an extended scope practitioner physiotherapist who used a set of standard questions to obtain information about the patients’ progress. An opportunity was then given to the patients to discuss any issues they may have with regards to their treatment so far.

Urgent hospital follow – up was arranged for patients requiring it depending on their level of progress and problems identified.

Patients’ satisfaction and opinions with regards to the use of the telephone as a method of post-operative follow -up were ascertained by an independent researcher.

Results: 50 patients were contacted over a 12-week period.

Patients were satisfied by the level of information they were provided with and their subsequent management as a result of the telephone clinic. Patients particularly commented on the advantages of getting information at home with the avoidance of problems associated with attending for a hospital appointment.

Three patients were given an urgent follow-up appointment as a result of the information gleaned during the telephone clinic. These included a patient with a stitch abscess and two with adhesive capsulitis.

Conclusion: Telephone clinic follow up is an effective and safe method for monitoring patient progress post – operatively following shoulder or elbow surgery. It is well received by patients who save the time and effort associated with attending for a hospital consultation that often only lasts a few minutes. In the subject group identified the method of questioning was sufficiently sensitive to identify problems that required further management.