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.