title: Hospitals leverage nursing staff, IT tools to reach out to patients following discharge from the ED.
abstract: Hospital and ED administrators have found that initiating patient contact shortly after discharge from the ED can positively impact patient satisfaction while also offering opportunities to improve patient compliance with care instructions and to intervene early if complications arise. While some hospitals still rely on manual calls to patients, others are initiating contact through email and text messages. Edward Hospital in Naperville, IL, has implemented a five-question self-assessment that is electronically conveyed to patients the day following discharge. The system provides patients with the opportunity to report any medical concerns, rate their caregivers, and report any complaints about their experience in the ED. Clinical concerns can be acted on immediately, but administrators also use the feedback to drive improvement in patient satisfaction. Cheyenne Regional Medical Center in Cheyenne, WY, has a process in place to prompt the nursing staff to make manual calls to patients between 24 and 48 hours after discharge from the hospital or ED. The approach is credited with curbing readmissions and helping to boost patient satisfaction by more than 30% in the first quarter of 2012.
mesh_terms: D003266:Continuity of Patient Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D006764:Hospitals, Community; D006801:Humans; D007087:Illinois; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration*; D019982:Organizational Case Studies; D010351:Patient Discharge; D014959:Wyoming