title: Factors Associated With Patient-Initiated Telephone Calls After Orthopaedic Trauma Surgery.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The primary aim of this study is to investigate the incidence of early patient-initiated postoperative telephone calls and reasons for those calls. Secondary goals are to determine perioperative predictive factors for calls including the procedures most frequently associated with them.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective chart review.
  
  
  METHODS
  Academic Level-1 Trauma Center.
  
  
  METHODS
  Six hundred eighty-four patients who underwent surgical treatment by our orthopaedic trauma division between 01/01/2014 and 31/12/2014.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patient-initiated telephone call documented within 14 days after discharge.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-nine percent (n = 199) of patients initiated a telephone call within 14 days after discharge. The most common reasons for telephone calls were pain control (22%), bathing/dressing/wound questions (16%), and questions regarding discharge medications (8%). The procedures associated with the highest percentage of telephone calls were tibial shaft intramedullary nailing (36.0%), calcaneus open reduction internal fixation (31.3%), and cephalomedullary nailing for proximal femur fractures (29.3%). Perioperative factors predictive of an increase in phone calls included discharge directly to home, higher baseline level of health of the patient (based on comorbidities and the American Society for Anesthesiologists score), and a more robust support network (based on marital and employment status).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study identifies the incidence and common reasons for patient-initiated calls after orthopaedic trauma surgery and an analysis of perioperative factors predictive of increased phone calls. These data give direction for communication at the time of discharge to improve efficiency, patient care, and patient satisfaction.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prognostic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
authors.affiliation: *Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Virginia Health System, Ray C. Hunt Drive, Charlottesville, VA; †Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Trauma Division, University of Virginia Health System, Ray C. Hunt Drive, Charlottesville, VA.
authors.forename: Michael M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Hadeed
authors.forename: Abdurrahman
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kandil
authors.forename: Vandan
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.forename: Avery
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Morrison
authors.forename: Wendy M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Novicoff
authors.forename: Seth R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Yarboro
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D057226:Information Seeking Behavior; D008297:Male; D055118:Medication Adherence; D008875:Middle Aged; D019637:Orthopedic Procedures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D059408:Pain Management; D063886:Patient Discharge Summaries / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D011184:Postoperative Period; D015995:Prevalence; D019114:Remote Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013689:Telephone / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014768:Virginia / Q000453:epidemiology