title: Improving surgical outpatient efficiency through mobile phone text messaging.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Currently, 175,000 people are on outpatient waiting lists in Irish hospitals. Many clinic slots are taken by patients returning for routine review postoperatively.
  
  
  METHODS
  A Nokia mobile phone was used to send an outpatient text (OPT) to patients 2 weeks postdischarge. Patients replying that they were well were discharged. If no reply after 2 attempts was received, they were scheduled for the next outpatient clinic.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, 55 patients were offered the service over a 4-month period. Of these, 74.5% of patients were discharged from follow-up using text message surveillance. Patients were surveyed regarding their perception of the surveillance model, with all respondents ranking OPT surveillance as their preferred method of follow-up. There was a 13.6% decrease in outpatient visits over the study period. In addition, 6 emergency department visits were also avoided.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Text message surveillance decreases outpatient waiting times and increases quality of care.
authors.affiliation: Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: Mark A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Corrigan
authors.forename: Seamus M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: McHugh
authors.forename: Rory K J
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dhillon
authors.forename: Abid
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.forename: Immanuel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hennessy
authors.forename: Athar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sheikh
authors.forename: Elaine
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lehane
authors.forename: Arnold S K
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Hill
mesh_terms: D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D001071:Appointments and Schedules; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007494:Ireland; D008297:Male; D010351:Patient Discharge; D057240:Patient Preference; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011182:Postoperative Care; D060145:Text Messaging