Follow-up telephone calls to patients discharged after undergoing orthopaedic surgery: double-blind, randomised controlled trial of efficacy

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effectiveness of a follow-up telephone call to reduce the number of issues after hospital discharge. BACKGROUND: The postdischarge period is often a time of uncertainty and risk. The decreasing length of hospital stays has increased the need for specific instructions about the postdischarge period. A telephone follow-up could be a valuable tool to fill this information gap. DESIGN: Double-blind, randomised controlled trial. METHODS: The participants included medium or low-intensity orthopaedic patients. We implemented a structured telephone follow-up call conducted by a senior orthopaedic nurse to provide educational support to the intervention group (n = 110), while the control group (n = 109) received routine care after being discharged. Data were collected between September 2011-January 2012. Statistical differences between the two groups were tested using chi-square test or Wilcoxon rank sum test, as appropriate. A linear regression model was performed to investigate factors involved into postdischarge outcomes. RESULTS: The intervention group had a statistically significant reduction in all postdischarge problems except for pain and mobilisation; the group also had a lower chance of experiencing frequent or severe problems. The educational intervention and prior poor health had a strong correlation with problems after discharge. Patients who received a telephone follow-up call believed the information provided was valuable. CONCLUSION: This nurse-led follow-up intervention significantly contributed to solving or reducing postdischarge health problems and contributed to reduce unnecessary burden on the community health system. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: A nurse-led telephone follow-up is a simple, feasible and low-cost tool to improve patients' outcomes after discharge.