title: [Effect of a telephone care program after hospital discharge from a trauma surgery unit].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the impact of a 1-month telephone care program after hospital discharge from a trauma surgery unit on health services utilization and patient anxiety and to perform a budgetary analysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  We carried out an experimental study in 604 patients who formed an experimental and a control group. The experimental group was offered telephone care to resolve doubts during the first month after discharge. After this period, data were collected from both groups on the following outcome variables: visits to the emergency department or family physician, hospital readmissions, and the results of an anxiety test. Data analyses included logistic and linear multivariate analyses and calculation of the budgetary impact of the program on the hospital, the Andalusian Health Service, and the National Health System.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 73 telephone consultations were conducted with 60 patients, almost half for doubts about the therapeutic regimen. For the outcome variable "visit to emergency department", the group without telephone care had an odds ratio of 1.8 in the multivariate analysis adjusted for the other independent variables: days of hospital stay, patient anxiety and comprehension of discharge indications. No differences between groups were found in the remaining outcome variables. The budgetary analysis demonstrated the possibility of implementing the program at a cost of 1.65 € per patient.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This program proved effective in reducing visits to the emergency department at a low cost.
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Investigación, Hospital Universitario Virgen de las Nieves, Granada, España. carmen.herrera.sspa@juntadeandalucia.es
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Herrera-Espiñeira
authors.forename: María del Mar
authors.initials: Mdel M
authors.lastname: Rodríguez del Águila
authors.forename: Jóse Luis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Navarro Espigares
authors.forename: Amparo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Godoy Montijano
authors.forename: Alfonso
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: García Priego
authors.forename: Javier Gómez
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Rodríguez
authors.forename: Isabel Reyes
authors.initials: IR
authors.lastname: Sánchez
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003266:Continuity of Patient Care; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010351:Patient Discharge; D013689:Telephone; D014193:Trauma Centers; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D055815:Young Adult