Telephone follow-up by nurse practitioners of geriatric patients discharged from the emergency department after traumatic injury

Abstract

Introduction: Geriatric patients discharged from the emergency department (ED) after an injury are at risk for adverse outcomes. Older patients are at a higher risk for sensory impairments and cognitive problems which can make comprehension of discharge instructions more difficult. Moreover, geriatric patients often have limited skills with or access to alternative sources of information, such as hospital web pages or phone applications, which could put them at a higher risk of undertreatment. Implementing telephone follow-up after discharge presents a potential solution to enhance information transfer and address problems related to the injury.

Methods: An exploratory cohort study was conducted in the ED of an inner-city hospital in the Netherlands between 2019-2020. Patients ≥70 years were included if they presented with an injury and were discharged home from the ED. Telephone follow-up was performed by an ED nurse practitioner within 48 hours after discharge to address any problems or questions relating to the injury. Feasibility was assessed by determining whether the intervention could be performed within the allotted time period during normal work hours (1 h per day). The frequency and type of additional advice given, as well as patient satisfaction with the intervention, were documented.

Results: 635 patients were eligible for inclusion, and 266 completed the intervention (median age 77 years; 32 % male). Nurse practitioners were able to complete the intervention on over 90 % of days. A total of 64 % of patients received additional advice during the telephone call, mostly related to pain medication adjustments and instructions to contact their GP. Patient satisfaction with the intervention was high (median score 8/10).

Conclusion: Telephone follow-up is a feasible intervention that may be able to enhance older patients' comprehension of discharge instructions and help identify new problems after discharge. During the follow-up call, the majority of patients received additional advice, indicating a potential demand for this intervention. The main limitation was that not all eligible patients were approached or did not want to participate in the intervention. Future studies should investigate whether telephone follow-up can effectively reduce adverse events and improve the quality of life for these patients.

Keywords: Elderly; Emergency department; Functional decline; Geriatric; Post-discharge follow-up; Telephone.