Effects of post-discharge telephone calls on the rate of emergency department visits in paediatric patients

Non-emergency department (ED) interventions to reduce ED utilization: a scoping review

BACKGROUND

Emergency department (ED) crowding is a global burden. Interventions to reduce ED utilization have been widely discussed in the literature, but previous reviews have mainly focused on specific interventions or patient groups within the EDs. The purpose of this scoping review was to identify, summarize, and categorize the various types of non-ED-based interventions designed to reduce unnecessary visits to EDs.

METHODS

This scoping review followed the JBI Manual for Evidence Synthesis and the PRISMA-SCR checklist. A comprehensive structured literature search was performed in the databases MEDLINE and Embase from 2008 to March 2024. The inclusion criteria covered studies reporting on interventions outside the ED that aimed to reduce ED visits. Two reviewers independently screened the records and categorized the included articles by intervention type, location, and population.

RESULTS

Among the 15,324 screened records, we included 210 studies, comprising 183 intervention studies and 27 systematic reviews. In the primary studies, care coordination/case management or other care programs were the most commonly examined out of 15 different intervention categories. The majority of interventions took place in clinics or medical centers, in patients' homes, followed by hospitals and primary care settings - and targeted patients with specific medical conditions.

CONCLUSION

A large number of studies have been published investigating interventions to mitigate the influx of patients to EDs. Many of these targeted patients with specific medical conditions, frequent users and high-risk patients. Further research is needed to address other high prevalent groups in the ED - including older adults and mental health patients (who are ill but may not need the ED). There is also room for further research on new interventions to reduce ED utilization in low-acuity patients and in the general patient population.

Outcomes of a postoperative day one call to families after adenotonsillectomy in children

Objective

To examine the outcomes of a postoperative day one (POD 1) phone call to families of ambulatory surgical patients, as a means of guiding clinical interventions and quality initiatives, with a focus on children undergoing adenotonsillectomy (T&A).

Methods

Retrospective analysis of outcomes of a POD 1 questionnaire completed in children <18 years of age undergoing T&A at a tertiary care children's hospital over a 3-year period (August 14, 2018-August 31, 2021).

Results

Responses to the questionnaire were obtained for a total of 1428/3464 (41.2%) children undergoing T&A during the study period. There was no difference in gender, age at surgery, race, ethnicity, insurance product, or preoperative diagnosis for those whose caregiver responded to the questionnaire versus those who did not. Parent responses included 84 (5.9%) who reported problems or concerns postdischarge. These included 18 (1.3%) patients unable to take their pain medication, 9 (0.6%) refusing oral intake, 28 (2.0%) with postoperative emesis, 27 (1.9%) with fevers, and 6 (0.4%) with a change in breathing. A total of 75/122 (61.5%) who reported pain were taking their pain medication as directed. Nineteen (1.3%) patients were noted to have bleeding after surgery, including 4 (21.5%) with nosebleeds, and 12 (63.2%) with oral cavity bleeding requiring no interventions.

Conclusions

The POD 1 questionnaire identified patients with common concerns and complications after T&A. Although most of these concerns were infrequent, it afforded the clinical team the opportunity to provide additional education and instructions on care and management to caregivers after their child's surgical procedure.

One Call Away: Addressing a Safety Gap for Urgent Issues Post Discharge

OBJECTIVES

The transition period from hospitalization to outpatient care can be high risk for pediatric patients. Our aim was to profile the use of a "safety net" for families through provision of specific inpatient provider contact information for urgent issues post discharge.

METHODS

In this prospective study, we implemented an updated after-visit summary that directed families to call the hospital operator and specifically ask for the pediatric hospital medicine attending on call if they were unable to reach their primary care provider (PCP) with an urgent postdischarge concern. Education for nursing staff, operators, and pediatric hospital medicine providers was completed, and contact information was automatically populated into the after-visit summary. Information collected included the number of calls, the topic, time spent, whether the family contacted the PCP first, and the time of day. Descriptive statistics and Fisher's exact test were used to summarize findings.

RESULTS

Over a 13-month period, of 5145 discharges, there were 47 postdischarge phone calls, which averaged to 3.6 calls per month. The average length of time spent on a call was 21 minutes. For 30% of calls, families had tried contacting their PCPs first, and 55% of calls occurred at night. Topics of calls included requesting advice about symptoms, time line for reevaluation, and assistance with medications.

CONCLUSIONS

This safety net provided families with real-time problem-solving for an urgent need post discharge, which included triaging patient symptoms at home, counseling on medication questions, information about the time line of illness recovery, and provision of additional resources.

Hospital-to-Home Interventions, Use, and Satisfaction: A Meta-analysis

CONTEXT

Hospital-to-home transitions are critical opportunities to promote patient safety and high-quality care. However, such transitions are often fraught with difficulties associated with increased health care use and poor patient satisfaction.

OBJECTIVE

In this review, we determine which pediatric hospital discharge interventions affect subsequent health care use or parental satisfaction compared with usual care.

DATA SOURCES

We searched 7 bibliographic databases and 5 pediatric journals.

STUDY SELECTION

Inclusion criteria were: (1) available in English, (2) focused on children <18 years of age, (3) pediatric data reported separately from adult data, (4) not focused on normal newborns or pregnancy, (5) discharge intervention implemented in the inpatient setting, and (6) outcomes of health care use or caregiver satisfaction. Reviews, case studies, and commentaries were excluded.

DATA EXTRACTION

Two reviewers independently abstracted data using modified Cochrane data collection forms and assessed quality using modified Downs and Black checklists.

RESULTS

Seventy one articles met inclusion criteria. Although most interventions improved satisfaction, interventions variably reduced use. Interventions focused on follow-up care, discharge planning, teach back-based parental education, and contingency planning were associated with reduced use across patient groups. Bundled care coordination and family engagement interventions were associated with lower use in patients with chronic illnesses and neonates.

LIMITATIONS

Variability limited findings and reduced generalizability.

CONCLUSIONS

In this review, we highlight the utility of a pediatric discharge bundle in reducing health care use. Coordinating follow-up, discharge planning, teach back-based parental education, and contingency planning are potential foci for future efforts to improve hospital-to-home transitions.

Emergency Department Visits for Postpartum Complications

INTRODUCTION

Most estimates of the prevalence and types of postpartum complications are based on hospital readmissions. However, using hospital readmissions (which occurs in only 1%-2% of postpartum women) is problematic as it fails to include women with postpartum complications assessed in the office or emergency department (ED). We utilized data from a cohort of women evaluated in an ED setting to better characterize complications experienced by women in the postpartum period.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We performed a retrospective analysis of all postpartum visits to the ED at a tertiary care women's hospital over 6 months. We described characteristics of the population and clinical details of the ED visit, specifically the presenting complaint, delivery type, final diagnosis, and admission rate.

RESULTS

Among 5708 deliveries during the study period, 252 women had at least one visit to the ED within 42 days after delivery, and the median timing for first visit was 7.5 days postpartum. The most common presenting complaints were wound complication (17.5%), fever (17.1%), abdominal pain (15.9%), headache/dizziness (12.3%), breast problem (10.7%), and hypertension (10.3%). Fifty-seven percent of these visits were by women who delivered vaginally and 54% of women were multiparous. The most common final diagnosis was a normal postpartum examination and only 22% of women were readmitted.

CONCLUSION

Women presenting to the ED postpartum period had a wide variety of medical issues but 78% were not admitted. Given the timing and low acuity of many visits, better postpartum education may be a tool to reduce nonemergent postpartum ED visits.

Acute care revisits after adenotonsillectomy in a pediatric Medicaid population in Ohio

INTRODUCTION

Guidelines for inpatient admission after pediatric tonsillectomy have been proposed to improve the safety of this procedure. This study examined the association between performing adenotonsillectomy in an inpatient setting and acute care revisits within 30 days among children enrolled in a Medicaid Accountable Care Organization in Ohio.

METHODS

The Accountable Care Organization's claims database was queried for adenotonsillectomies performed in children ages 0-18 years in 2008-2014. Procedures associated with an inpatient facility stay were classified as inpatient adenotonsillectomies. The primary outcome was emergency department visit or inpatient re-admission within 30 days. Secondary outcomes were revisits within 7 days and >7 days post-discharge. Logistic regression was used to test for association between inpatient procedure and need for revisits.

RESULTS

Adenotonsillectomies in 8835 girls and 7773 boys (age 6.8 ± 3.8 years) were analyzed, of which 842 (5%) were inpatient procedures. Revisits were required in 2511 (15%) cases and were primarily visits to the emergency department. In multivariable analysis, inpatient and outpatient procedures had comparable need for 30-day revisits (OR = 0.85; 95% CI: 0.69, 1.05; p = 0.124). In sub-analyses, inpatient adenotonsillectomy was associated with lower odds of early (≤7 days post-discharge; OR = 0.76; 95% CI: 0.58, 0.99; p = 0.045) but not later (≥8 days) revisits.

CONCLUSIONS

In a pediatric Medicaid population, inpatient adenotonsillectomy was not associated with greater odds of acute care revisits, compared to outpatient procedures. Appropriate risk stratification of children undergoing adenotonsillectomy can reduce the need for early acute care revisits by scheduling high-risk patients for prolonged observation.

A Randomized Controlled Trial of Innovative Postpartum Care Model for Mother-Baby Dyads

Objective

To evaluate the efficacy, safety, and maternal satisfaction of a newly established integrative postpartum community-based clinic providing comprehensive support for mothers during the first month after discharge from the hospital. Our primary interests were breastfeeding rates, readmission and patient satisfaction.

Methods

A randomized controlled trial was conducted in Ottawa, Canada, where 472 mothers were randomized via a 1:2 ratio to either receive standard of care (n = 157) or to attend the postpartum breastfeeding clinic (n = 315). Outcome data were captured through questionnaires completed by the participants at 2, 4, 12 and 24 weeks postpartum. Unadjusted and adjusted logistic regression models were conducted to determine the effect of the intervention on exclusive breastfeeding at 12 weeks (primary outcome). Secondary outcomes included breastfeeding rate at 2, 4 and 24 weeks, breastfeeding self-efficacy scale, readmission rate, and satisfaction score.

Results

More mothers in the intervention group (n = 195, 66.1%) were exclusively breastfeeding at 12 weeks compared to mothers in the control group (n = 81, 60.5%), however no statistically significant difference was observed (OR = 1.28; 95% CI:0.84–1.95)). The rate of emergency room visits at 2 weeks for the intervention group was 11.4% compared to the standard of care group (15.2%) (OR = 0.69; 95% CI: 0.39–1.23). The intervention group was significantly more satisfied with the overall care they received for breastfeeding compared to the control group (OR = 1.96; 95% CI: 3.50–6.88)).

Conclusion

This new model of care did not significantly increase exclusive breastfeeding at 12 weeks. However, there were clinically meaningful improvements in the rate of postnatal problems and satisfaction that support this new service delivery model for postpartum care. A community-based multidisciplinary postpartum clinic is feasible to implement and can provide appropriate and highly satisfactory care to mother-baby dyads. This model of care may be more beneficial in a population that is not already predisposed to breastfeed.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02043119

Tools for 'safety netting' in common paediatric illnesses: a systematic review in emergency care

CONTEXT

Follow-up strategies after emergency department (ED) discharge, alias safety netting, is often based on the gut feeling of the attending physician.

OBJECTIVE

To systematically identify evaluated safety-netting strategies after ED discharge and to describe determinants of paediatric ED revisits.

DATA SOURCES

MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, Cochrane central, OvidSP, Web of Science, Google Scholar, PubMed.

STUDY SELECTION

Studies of any design reporting on safety netting/follow-up after ED discharge and/or determinants of ED revisits for the total paediatric population or specifically for children with fever, dyspnoea and/or gastroenteritis. Outcomes included complicated course of disease after initial ED visit (eg, revisits, hospitalisation).

DATA EXTRACTION

Two reviewers independently assessed studies for eligibility and study quality. As meta-analysis was not possible due to heterogeneity of studies, we performed a narrative synthesis of study results. A best-evidence synthesis was used to identify the level of evidence.

RESULTS

We summarised 58 studies, 36% (21/58) were assessed as having low risk of bias. Limited evidence was observed for different strategies of safety netting, with educational interventions being mostly studied. Young children, a relevant medical history, infectious/respiratory symptoms or seizures and progression/persistence of symptoms were strongly associated with ED revisits. Gender, emergency crowding, physicians' characteristics and diagnostic tests and/or therapeutic interventions at the index visit were not associated with revisits.

CONCLUSIONS

Within the heterogeneous available evidence, we identified a set of strong determinants of revisits that identify high-risk groups in need for safety netting in paediatric emergency care being related to age and clinical symptoms. Gaps remain on intervention studies concerning specific application of a uniform safety-netting strategy and its included time frame.