Impact of follow-up calls from the pediatric emergency department on return visits within 72 hours: a randomized controlled trial.
Pediatr Emerg Care
; 30(9): 613-6, 2014 Sep.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-25162691
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES:
We compare the rate of return to the emergency department (ED) within 72 hours between families of children receiving a follow-up telephone call by a non-health care provider asking about the child's well-being 12 hours after their visit to the ED and families not receiving a follow-up call.METHODS:
This was a prospective, randomized study in which we conducted a follow-up call starting at 12 hours after discharge from the ED versus no call for follow-up. At 96 hours after discharge, we contacted all recruited families. We recorded the rate of return to the ED within 72 hours of discharge.RESULTS:
Of 371 families in the data analysis, 46% were in the study group, and 55.5% were male patients. Mean age was 5.7 years. The outcome measure was found to be in contrary to our hypothesis. We found return visits to the ED in 24 (14%) of the children in the study group compared with only 14 (7%) in the control group (P < 0.03). All other parameters were not statistically different between the groups.CONCLUSIONS:
Emergency departments practicing follow-up calls by non-health care providers should consider a forecasted increase in return rates.
Texto completo:
1
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Readmissão do Paciente
/
Assistência ao Convalescente
/
Serviço Hospitalar de Emergência
Tipo de estudo:
Clinical_trials
/
Observational_studies
/
Prognostic_studies
Limite:
Child
/
Child, preschool
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
País como assunto:
America do norte
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2014
Tipo de documento:
Article