The effect of a telephone follow-up call for older patients, discharged home from the emergency department on health-related outcomes: a systematic review of controlled studies

International Journal of Emergency Medicine

Jacobijn Gussekloo¹  Roos C. van der Mast²  Merel van Loon-van Gaalen³  Britt van Winsen³  M. Christien van der Linden³ 

[1] Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands;Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands;Department of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands;Department of Psychiatry, CAPRI-University, Antwerp, Belgium;Emergency Department, Haaglanden Medical Center, P.O. Box 432, 2501, The Hague, CK, The Netherlands;

关键词: Older patients;    Emergency department;    Telephone;    Postdischarge follow-up;    Geriatric;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12245-021-00336-x

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundOlder patients discharged from the emergency department (ED) are at increased risk for adverse outcomes. Transitional care programs offer close surveillance after discharge, but are costly. Telephone follow-up (TFU) may be a low-cost and feasible alternative for transitional care programs, but its effects on health-related outcomes are not clear.AimWe systematically reviewed the literature to evaluate the effects of TFU by health care professionals after ED discharge to an unassisted living environment on health-related outcomes in older patients compared to controls.MethodsWe conducted a multiple electronic database search up until December 2019 for controlled studies examining the effects of TFU by health care professionals for patients aged ≥65 years, discharged to an unassisted living environment from a hospital ED. Two reviewers independently assessed eligibility and risk of bias.ResultsOf the 748 citations, two randomized controlled trials (including a total of 2120 patients) met review selection criteria. In both studies, intervention group patients received a scripted telephone intervention from a trained nurse and control patients received a patient satisfaction survey telephone call or usual care. No demonstrable benefits of TFU were found on ED return visits, hospitalization, acquisition of prescribed medication, and compliance with follow-up appointments. However, many eligible patients were not included, because they were not reached or refused to participate.ConclusionsNo benefits of a scripted TFU call from a nurse were found on health services utilization and discharge plan adherence by older patients after ED discharge. As the number of high-quality studies was limited, more research is needed to determine the effect and feasibility of TFU in different older populations.PROSPERO registration number CRD42019141403.

【 授权许可】

CC BY